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THE  UNIVERSITY 


OF  ILLINOIS 
LIBRARY 

From  the  collection  of 
Julius  Doerner,  Chicago 
Purchased,  1918. 

B 

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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/memorialofconstaOOheri 


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Ik  USMfi/ 

F Nil 

UHIVEBSITY  tii  ILU83SS 


A 


MEMORIAL 


CONSTANTINE  HERING 


BORN  JANUARY  ist,  1800 
DIED  JULY  23D,  1880 


PHILADELPHIA 


Press  of  Globe  Printing  House. 


I 

Biographical  Sketch 

ii 

Citerarg  Cife 
hi 

In  Jttemoriam 


HARGIS 


PREFACE 


3 

VA  ^ ^ (c 


AT  the  Memorial  Meeting,  held  in  Philadelphia, 
October  10th,  1880,  the  undersigned  were  re- 
quested to  edit  and  publish  a Biographical  Sketch  of 
Dr  Constantine  Hering,  together  with  the  Addresses 
and  Eulogies  pronounced  over  him,  and  whatsoever  de- 
tails of  his  professional  life  and  works  as  might  be 
deemed  worthy  of  preservation;  the  whole  thus  consti- 
tuting an  enduring  Memorial  of  our  revered  friend  and 
master. 

In  the  accomplishment  of  their  task  the  Editors  can- 
not but  confess,  that,  as  this  fine  life  revealed  itself  page 
by  page,  they  found  no  small  satisfaction  in  the  contem- 
plation of  the  benison  to  the  world  which  its  history 
would  prove. 

The  speakers  and  writers  whose  words  are  recorded  in 
the  following  pages,  all  bear  witness  to  the  deep  impres- 
sion which  the  grand  traits  of  Dr  Hering’s  character, 
not  only  as  a physician  but  as  a man,  produced  on  all 


6 


with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  With  ‘charity  for  all 
and  malice  towards  none,’  the  whole  of  his  long,  labori- 
ous, and  blameless  life  was  spent  in  laying  broad  and 
deep  the  enduring  principles  of  Homoeopathy. 

For  the  assistance  rendered  by  the  Rev.  William  H. 
Furness,  D.D.,  in  preparing  the  Biographical  Sketch, 
the  editors  are  deeply  indebted ; and  are  grateful  likewise 
for  the  services  rendered  by  others  in  translating  foreign 
papers. 

Charles  G.  Raue, 
Calvin  B.  Knerr, 
Charles  Mohr. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH. 


HE  ancestors  of  Dr.  Hering  came  from  Mora- 


via. They  wrote  the  family  name  Hrinka. 
His  father,  a gentle  natured  man,  educated  first 
at  the  Fiirstenschule  in  Meissen,  the  same  in 
which  Hahnemann  received  his  early  education, 
and  then  at  the  Universities  of  Leipzig  and  Wur- 
temberg,  was  devoted  to  teaching  and  to  music. 
He  published  numerous  works  of  instruction  in 
the  art  of  music,  some  of  which  passed  through 
several  editions,  among  them  a collection  of  juve- 
nile songs;  some  of  these  are  still  sung  by  children 
the  world  over.  His  method,  resembling  the  Kin- 
dergarten mode  of  education,  commended  itself  by 
its  simplicity  and  practical  character.  In  his  hum- 
ble home  he  strove  to  surround  his  little  ones  with 
refining  influences.  Books  with  poor  pictures 
were  not  tolerated  in  the  nursery.  He  maintained 
that  early  impressions  were  powerful  in  influenc- 
ing later  life,  and  zealously  strove  to  banish  from 
his  home  all  that  was  not  good,  beautiful  or  true. 


(9) 


10 


Before  marriage  he  lived  in  Leipzig,  which  city  he 
left  to  occupy  the  position  of  instructor  in  the 
family  of  Krug  von  Nidda.  In  1795,  he  was  given 
the  position  of  conrector  and  organist  of  the  church 
in  Oschatz  with  the  title  of  Magister,  equivalent 
to  Doctor  of  Philosophy.  Sixteen  years  later  he 
moved  to  Zittau,  a beautifully  situated  town  in  the 
Oberlausitz,  where  he  became  principal  of  the  pub- 
lic school  and  later  professor  of  music  in  the  semi- 
nary. In  1836,  he  was  partly  emerited,  wholly  so 
eight  years  later,  and  the  remainder  of  his  life, 
which  ended  January  4th,  1853,  was  devoted  to 
his  favorite  art,  music.  His  family  consisted  of 
three  daughters  and  four  sons.  One  of  the  sons, 
Carl  Eduard,  was  jvronounced  by  Mendelssohn  the 
strongest  musician  on  counterpoint  in  Europe. 

Dr.  Hering  was  horn  on  the  first  day  of  January, 
A.D.  1800,  consequently  he  could  claim  to  be  one 
of  the  first  men  of  the  century.  His  father  was 
seated  at  the  organ  when  word  was  brought  to  him 
of  the  birth  of  a son,  whereupon  pealed  forth  a 
burst  of  praise:  Nun  danJcet  alle  Gott.  The  trumpet 
angels,  attached  to  the  organ,  sent  forth  their  hal- 
lelujahs, heralding  the  advent  of  a new  century 
and  the  birth  of  a son.  The  child  was  carried  the 
next  day  into  the  open  air,  his  father  believing  in 


11 


the  hardening  process.  A day  or  two  afterwards 
he  was  baptized  and  named  Constantine.  In  giv- 
ing him  this  name  which  had  been  borne  by  a 
child  that  had  died,  the  father  showed  himself 
above  a popular  superstition. 

Oschatz,  the  birth-place  of  Dr.  Hering,  is  a small 
town  situated  between  Dresden  and  Leipzig.  As 
the  diligence  passed  through  it,  it  happened  occa- 
sionally that  some  traveller  of  note  stopped  over 
night  and  spent  the  evening  with  Magister  Hering, 
widely  known  for  his  position  in  the  musical 
world.  Dr.  Hering  preserved  the  memory  of  these 
guests.  They  did  much,  doubtless,  to  determine 
his  way  of  thinking.  He  remembered  sitting  on 
the  knee  of  Chladni  and  listening  to  the  wonder- 
ful account  of  the  Klangfiguren  (sound  figures). 
Seume,  a literary  man  of  that  day,  was  one  of 
those  evening  visitors,  whose  talk  about  America 
and  democracy  inspired  the  listening  child  with 
the  love  of  freedom  and  the  hatred  of  privileged 
classes. 

The  early  teachers  of  Dr.  Hering  were  persons 
of  a like  character  to  his  father.  One  in  particular, 
August  Rudolph,  an  excellent  mathematician,  he 
always  spoke  of  with  veneration.  Lehrer  Rudolph 
taught  him  to  love  mathematics  as  a science,  not 


12 


merely  of  dry  formulas,  but  as  a revelation  of  the 
laws  of  being.  The  boy  had  no  liking  for  history, 
“a  collection  of  foolish  and  horrible  things/7  as  he 
called  it  to  his  father,  who  told  him  he  should 
write  it  after  a better  fashion.  But  he  preferred 
to  study  plants,  insects,  stones.  He  incurred  a re- 
proof from  his  beloved  teacher,  Herr  Rudolph,  by 
refusing  to  call  Peter  of  Russia,  Peter  the  Great, 
preferring  to  say,  in  the  course  of  a composition 
condemnatory  of  the  Russian  ruler,  “Peter,  whom 
fools  call  great.77 

It  was  in  the  boyhood  of  Dr.  Hering  that  the 
Old  World  was  all  in  a tremble  under  the  bloody 
footsteps  of  the  First  Napoleon.  Dr.  Hering  had 
vivid  recollections  of  the  time  before  and  after  the 
battle  of  Jena,  and  of  the  march  to  Russia  and  the 
disastrous  retreat.  A portion  of  the  French  army 
on  its  way  to  Russia  passed  through  Saxony,  a 
small  company  halted  before  the  house  of  Magister 
Hering  and  demanded  food;  Constantine,  a lad  of 
twelve,  ran  out  with  a fresh  loaf  of  black  bread 
(rye  bread),  which  an  officer  took  only  to  fling  it 
on  the  ground  where  it  was  kicked  about  by  the 
soldiers.  “IPs  good  bread,77  cried  the  boy,  “my 
mother  made  it;  don’t  you  know  God  will  punish 
you  for  throwing  bread  away?77  The  men  said 


13 


nothing  and  passed  on.  By  and  by  rumors  came 
of  the  great  catastrophe,  the  fatal  retreat.  As  it 
chanced  the  same  squad  came  to  the  Magister’s 
begging  food.  Again  the  same  boy  came  out  to 
help  the  poor  wretches,  taking  white  bread  to 
them  this  time;  the  same  officer,  wasted,  in  rags, 
with  his  arm  in  a sling  met  the  boy.  “Ah!  my 
boy,”  he  exclaimed,  “the  curse  you  told  us  of  has 
fallen  upon  us.” 

The  first  stimulus  to  a love  of  the  natural  sciences 
the  boy  received  when  he  found  on  his  father’s 
grapevine  the  caterpillar  named  Sphynx  atropos. 
This  Atropos , followed  in  later  years  by  the  Lach- 
esis,  called  to  his  mind  the  three  weird  sisters  who 
were  supposed  to  determine  the  course  of  human 
life.  He  often  said:  “The  destinies  have  come 
to  me  in  reverse  order.”  First  came  Atropos,  the 
inflexible,  who  cuts  the  thread  of  human  life,  next 
Lachesis  who  spins  it,  and  finally  Clotho  holding 
the  distaff.  He  likened  his  work  of  writing  the 
Materia  Medica  to  the  spinning  of  threads  for  a 
fabric,  and  when  the  web  was  well  begun,  he 
said:  “When  I shall  be  called  hence  the  work  will 
be  left  on  the  loom  for  other  hands  to  weave.” 
When  the  boy’s  mind  had  received  the  impulse 
to  study  Nature’s  works  he  became  enthusiastic  in 


14 


pursuit  of  knowledge.  The  collection  of  insects, 
stones,  and  plants  busied  him  in  all  the  hours  that 
could  be  spared  from  school.  He  made  long  ex- 
cursions to  the  neighboring  hills  and  valleys  and 
returned  laden  with  minerals  for  his  cabinet,  or 
plants  for  his  herbarium.  He  was  wont  to  stop  at 
inns  to  arrange  his  collections,  and  it  was  in  those 
places  that  he  picked  up  the  popular  forms  of 
speech  which  he  was  so  fond  of  using.  Nothing 
was  more  distasteful  to  him  than  empty,  high- 
sounding  phrases;  both  in  conversation  and  in 
writing  he  clung  to  the  Anglo-Saxon. 

Among  the  books  in  his  library  is  a small  work 
on  botany  numbering  eighty-eight  pages  and  bear- 
ing the  title,  “ Systematisehes  Verzeichniss  der  hi  der 
Oberlausitz  wildwachsenden  Pflanzen  von  M.  Karl 
Christian  Oettel,  1799.”  On  the  fly-leaf,  in  the 
boy’s  handwriting,  in  which  is  recognizable  a 
strong  similarity  with  the  man’s,  are  written  the 
words:  “My  first  book  on  botany.”  The  inter- 
linear marks,  the  underscorings  and  marginal  notes 
on  the  well-worn  pages  of  this  little  book  show 
how  diligently  Constantine  used  it. 

Although  at  this  early  age  he  was  eager  in  the 
pursuit  of  scientific  knowledge,  he  was  alive  to  the 
importance  of  acquiring  a skillful  use  of  his  hands. 


15 


Surgery  seems  to  have  been  in  his  mind.  This  is 
shown  by  an  anecdote  he  was  fond  of  relating  de- 
scriptive of  his  first  operation.  A younger  sister, 
who  occasionally  accompanied  him  on  his  rambles 
through  the  woods,  was  so  unfortunate  as  to  have 
one  of  those  troublesome  ticks  which  infest  the 
woods  become  fastened  upon  her.  No  other  help 
being  at  hand,  and  the  little  girl  declaring  she 
would  not  see  a doctor,  Constantine  had  to  per- 
form the  operation  of  extracting  the  tick  from 
his  sister’s  back;  this  the  young  surgeon,  who  was 
averse  to  shedding  blood  when  it  could  be  avoided, 
accomplished  by  gently  but  firmly  grasping  the 
insect’s  body  and  pulling  with  steady  but  almost 
imperceptible  force.  At  first  the  insect,  feeling 
opposition,  began  to  tighten  its  hold,  but  it  could 
not  long  resist  the  very  gradual  but  unrelenting 
force  which  was  brought  to  bear  upon  it  and  com- 
pelled it  to  release  its  victim.  The  boy  had  made 
an  observation  which  was  of  use  in  after  life,  for 
Ife  often  successfully  employed  the  “gradual  force 
method’’  in  practice,  and  sometimes  when  harsher 
means  had  been  tried  in  vain. 

In  1817,  young  Constantine  was  sent  to  an  acad- 
emy in  Dresden  where  he  studied  surgery.  A year 
later  a copy  of  Euclid  literally  fell  into  his  hands 


16 


at  an  old  book  stall;  the  volume  deeply  interested 
him  at  once.  He  resolved  to  go  home  and  give 
himself  to  Greek  and  Mathematics,  which  he  did 
until  1820,  when  he  went  to  Leipzig  where  he 
studied  seven  courses  in  medicine. 

He  next  went  to  Wurzburg,  attracted  to  the  seat 
of  learning  in  this  place  by  the  fame  of  Schonlein, 
the  pathologist,  with  whom  he  formed  a friendship 
which  his  conversion  to  the  doctrines  of  Hahne- 
mann never  disturbed.  He  was  graduated  at 
Wurzburg  with  the  highest  honors.  His  medical 
examination  was  very  severe — all  the  more  so  for 
his  well-known  devotion  to  Homoeopathy. 

For  nine  years,  from  1817  to  1826,  Dr.  Hering’s 
life  was  the  life  of  a student.  By  his  fellow-stu- 
dents he  was  nick-named  “ Wisent ” on  account  of 
his  energetic  application  to  study.  He  struggled 
long  with  poverty.  His  privations  were  many. 
He  first  became  interested  in  Homoeopathy  by  en- 
gaging to  write  against  it.  His  work  was  to  be 
published  by  Baumgaertner.  In  it  he  first  en- 
deavored to  define  what  is  similar  in  the  Homoeo- 
pathic sense.  Then  he  examined  the  Materia 
Medica  of  HahnQmann.  “ Beginning  with  the 

chapter  headed  Sensorium,  I found,”  he  said, 
“under  every  remedy  Schwindel.  I began  to  think 


17 


it  was  all  Schwindel ! ” When  the  book  was 
nearly  done  he  came  across  Hahnemann’s  chal- 
lenge: “ Disprove,  ere  you  condemn!”  He  con- 
tinued his  investigations.  Some  mysterious  agency 
seemed  to  him  to  lead  him  on  to  the  belief 
that  Hahnemann  had  found  the  truth.  The  book 
was  never  published.  An  old  friend,  an  apoth- 
ecary, was  delighted  to  hear  that  he  was  writing 
against  the  new  school,  but  when  he  went  to  this 
friend  one  day  for  a tincture  of  Peruvian  bark, 
wanting  it,  as  he  told  the  apothecary,  for  a homoe- 
opathic proving,  the  man  of  the  shop  exclaimed: 
“My  young  friend,  don’t  you  know  there  is  danger 
in  that?”  The  young  doctor  replied  that  he  was 
a student  of  mathematics  and  believed  he  could 
distinguish  the  true  from  the  false.  From  that 
moment  his  old  friend  and  other  friends  turned 
their  backs  on  him.  It  was  said  by  the  more 
charitable  that  he  was  going  crazy.  In  truth  he 
became,  as  he  said,  a fanatic  in  the  cause  of  homoe- 
opathy  and  preached  it  in  season  and  out  of  season 
like  a very  apostle. 

A remarkable  personal  experience  had  a decisive 
effect  in  his  conversion  to  the  new  theory  of  thera- 
peutics. In  making  an  autopsy  on  the  body  of  a 
suicide  exhumed  by  the  authorities,  he  was  so  un- 

2 


18 


fortunate  as  to  take  into  his  system,  through  an 
abrasure  on  one  of  his  fingers,  some  of  the  poison 
engendered  in  the  decomposition  of  the  dead. 
After  some  days  the  wound  became  gangrenous. 
Leeches,  calomel  and  caustics  were  of  no  avail.* 
Amputation  as  a last  resort  was  rejected,  as  the 
loss  of  his  hand  would  be  fatal  to  his  profession, 
and  he  would  rather  die  than  suffer  it.  He  was  at 
the  time  still  under  the  old  impression  that  it  was 
absurd  to  suppose  external  diseases  to  be  within 
reach  of  internal  remedies,  and  he  met  with  ridi- 
cule the  proposition  of  an  older  disciple  of  Hahne- 
mann to  treat  him  with  homoeopathic  pellets. 
Nevertheless,  to  please  his  friend,  but  with  no  idea 
of  receiving  any  benefit,  he  consented  to  take  min- 
ute doses  of  Arsenic.  With  the  sense  of  relief  that 
came  to  him  as  the  wound  began  to  heal,  the  light 
of  the  new  art  of  healing  broke  upon  him,  he  said, 
in  all  its  fulness.  “I  owed  to  it  far  more  than  the 
preservation  of  a finger.  To  Hahnemann  who  had 
saved  my  finger,  I gave  my  whole  hand,  and  to 
the  promulgation  of  his  teachings,  not  only  my 
hand,  but  the  entire  man,  body  and  soul.” 

From  studying  homoeopathy  there  was  but  a 
step  to  the  practice  of  it.  His  success  was  cheer- 
ing. He  no  longer  suffered  want. 


19 


He  next  became  a teacher  of  natural  sciences 
and  mathematics  in  the  Blochmann  Institute  in 
Dresden.  Upon  the  recommendation  of  Bloch- 
man  he  was  sent  by  the  King  of  Saxony  on  a 
botanical  and  zoological  expedition  to  Surinam 
and  Cayenne.  He  made  the  expedition  in  com- 
pany with  his  friend  Weigel  who  was  to  attend 
to  the  botanical  work  while  he  was  to  have 
charge  of  the  zoological  department.  He  re- 
mained six  years  in  Surinam.  His  zoological  re- 
searches were  extended  over  the  full  period  of  his 
stay,  but  only  a portion  of  this  time  in  the  interest 
of  the  king.  His  love  for  homoeopathy  had  by  no 
means  lessened  in  the  pursuit  and  study  of  Nature’s 
tropical  wonders.  The  Moravian  colony  in  which 
he  resided  offered  every  inducement  for  the  prac- 
tice of  the  new  healing  art.  Although  the  scien- 
tific work  had  not  suffered  thereby,  for  he  had  sent 
many  new  and  interesting  specimens  to  the  mu- 
seum, and  had  assisted  his  friend  Weigel  in  the 
preparation  of  a herbarium  containing  three  thou- 
sand specimens  of  plants,  letters  to  the  king, 
written  by  enemies  to  homoeopathy,  reported  him 
negligent  in  his  trust,  and  sharp  orders  came  to 
abandon  homoeopathy  and  attend  to  his  specified 
duties.  The  unjust  censure  of  the  government  made 


20 


him  decide  to  throw  up  his  commission,  which  he 
did  by  return  of  mail.  He  now  by  no  means  re- 
linquished his  study  of  natural  history,  for  he  made 
many  more  curious  and  valuable  discoveries,  col- 
lected plants,  reptiles  and  animals,  sent  numerous 
interesting  contributions  to  the  Academy  of  the 
Natural  Sciences  in  Philadelphia,  and  practiced 
homoeopathy  at  his  own  sweet  will.  He  made 
many  converts  to  the  cause  and  educated  a student, 
Dr.  Bute,  whom  he  sent  North  at  the  time  of  the 
outbreak  of  cholera  in  1832,  to  try  his  skill  against 
the  epidemic.  While  his  student  was  successfully 
battling  with  the  cholera  in  Philadelphia,  he  went 
among  the  lepers  who  were  colonized  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Surinam,  outcasts  from  society,'  and  al- 
though unable  to  cure  more  than  a few  he  did 
much  to  relieve  the  sufferings  of  many,  and  by  his 
observations  enriched  the  therapeutics  of  that 
dread  disease,  leprosy.  He  sent  numerous  medical 
articles  to  his  friend  Stapf  in  Germany  who  pub- 
lished them  in  his  journal,  •“  The  Archives.”  He 
studied  the  habits  and  customs  of  the  creoles, 
mulattoes,  negroes  and  Arrowackian  Indians.  It 
was  at  the  risk  of  his  life  that  he  penetrated  into 
the  forests  to  become  acquainted  with  this  wild 
tribe,  and  we  owe  to  his  affiliation  with  the  sons  of 


21 


the  tropical  forest  the  discovery  of  the  healing 
virtues  that  lay  hidden  in  the  poison  bag  of  the 
Surukuku  snake.  Besides  the  serpent-virus  he 
tested  upon  his  own  person  a large  number  of 
hitherto  unproven  drugs,  thereby  enriching  the 
Materia  Medica.  He  married,  but  lost  his  wife 
soon  after  the  birth  of  a son.  This  bereavement 
and  the  hope  of  finding  a wider  field  for  homoe- 
opathy, induced  him  to  direct  his  steps  to  the 
North. 

After  a residence  of  more  than  six  years  in  Sur- 
inam, his  love  of  personal  liberty,  of  freedom  of 
speech  and  of  thought,  had  so  strengthened,  that 
he  was  drawn,  naturally,  toward  the  United  States, 
the  country  in  which  the  freedom  he  loved  was 
most  ample. 

His  fellow-countrymen  of  the  Moravian  colony 
in  Surinam  were  loath  to  have  him  leave  them, 
and,  as  their  custom  was,  invoked  the  Bible  test 
in  the  matter.  The  book  opened  and  the  finger 
pointed  to  the  text:  “Well  done,  thou  good  and 
faithful  servant;  * * * enter  thou  into  the  joy 

of  thy  Lord.”  So,  heavy  of  heart,  yet  seeing  in 
his  going,  as  they  believed,  the  will  of  Providence, 
they  sped  his  parting  and  gave  him  many  things 
useful  for  the  voyage.  But  whatever  the  omen 


22 


given  by  the  test  might  have  been,  Dr.  Hering 
would  not  have  suffered  his  purpose  to  have  been 
changed  by  it.  His  strong  nature  resented  any 
interference  with  his  free  will,  least  of  all  by  an 
appeal  to  chance.  He  believed  that  each  man 
must  learn  to  judge  and  to  decide  for  himself,  and 
he  lived  up  to  this  belief  his  life  long. 

The  ship  in  which  he  sailed  from  Surinam  was 
old,  badly  handled  and  ill-found.  She  was  bound 
for  Salem,  in  Massachusetts,  but  after  going  ashore 
upon  the  Rhode  Island  coast,  she  finally  put  into 
Martha’s  Vineyard.  Here,  on  a beautiful  Sunday 
morning,  in  January,  1833,  he  landed.  On  the 
ground  lay  the  white  snow,  the  first  that  he  had 
seen  for  seven  years,  and  the  sight  of  it  rejoiced 
his  heart.  “ I took  it  up,”  he  said,  “ and  was 
happy.”  In  a little  while  he  came  to  Philadel- 
phia, the  city  in  which  for  nearly  half  a century 
his  home  was  destined  to  be. 

Dr.  Hering  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  homoe- 
opathy in  America.  Eight  years  earlier  Dr.  Gram, 
the  herald  of  the  new  school  in  the  United 
States,  had  established  himself  in  New  York, 
and  when  Dr.  Hering  came  to  Philadelphia  there 
were  a dozen,  perhaps  a score,  of  homoeopathic 
physicians  scattered  over  the  whole  country. 


23 


He  had  to  fight  prejudice  as  well  as  disease,  hut 
his  skill  and  his  strength  in  the  faith  were  great 
and  he  prevailed.  His  practice  increased  so 
largely  and  so  rapidly  that  within  a year  after  his 
arrival  he  engaged  an  assistant,  and  in  this  first 
year  of  his  residence  in  America  he  took  to  him- 
self a German  wife,  Marianne  Hussman,  daughter 
of  George  Hussman,  of  Philadelphia.  Indeed,  at 
last  fortune  seemed  to  show  him  heartily  her  favor. 

A little  less  than  a year  after  his  arrival  in 
Philadelphia,  Dr.  Hering  was  waited  upon  by  a 
committee  from  the  “ Homoeopathic  Society  of 
Northampton  and  Counties  Adjacent,”  consisting 
of  Drs.  W.  Wesselhoeft,  H.  Detwiller  and  J.  Romig 
who  were  appointed  to  confer  with  him  on  the 
establishment  of  a homoeopathic  school  of  instruc- 
tion, and  on  January  1st,  1834,  Dr.  Hering’s 
thirty-fourth  birthday  anniversary,  was  proposed 
and  adopted  a plan,  the  result  of  which  was  the 
institution  of  the  “ North  American  Academy  of 
the  Homoeopathic  Healing  Art,”  to  be  located  at 
Allentown,  Pennsylvania,  with  Dr.  Hering  as 
President  and  principal  instructor. 

This  institution,  the  first  of  its  kind  in  the  world, 
was  founded  April  10th,  1835 — Hahnemann’s 
birthday — and  in  the  following  month  Dr.  Her- 


24 


ing’s  connection  with  it  began.  The  academy  was 
started  with  much  enthusiasm  and  with  a fair 
prospect  of  success.  A stock  company  was  formed 
for  the  purpose  of  raising  a fund  to  purchase  a 
lot  and  building  and  to  support  the  institution. 
About  one  hundred  subscribers  from  Allentown, 
Bethlehem,  Philadelphia  and  New  York  and  in 
various  parts  of  the  country,  raised  a fund  suffi- 
cient to  buy  a tract  of  land  comprising  a square 
block  of  ground  in  the  centre  of  Allentown.  A 
large  proportion  of  this  fund  was  raised  in 
Philadelphia,  and  we  must  not  here  omit  to 
make  mention  of  the  hearty  cooperation  of  a 
valued  friend  of  Dr.  Hering,  Mr.  William  Geisse, 
the  introducer  of  homoeopathy  in  Philadelphia ; 
also  of  Dr.  Geo.  H.  Bute  who  brought  all  the  in- 
fluence of  his  extensive  practice  to  bear  in  favor 
of  the  new  institution.  Seven  thousand  dollars 
were  subscribed  by  its  promoters  in  a single  day — 
such  was  their  eagerness  that  the  new  school 
should  be  founded.  . 

On  May  27th,  1835,  the  corner-stone  for  the 
two  wings  of  the  main  building  was  laid  in  the 
presence  of  a large  concourse  of  people  and  friends 
of  the  undertaking.  At  the  same  time  Dr.  Hering 
delivered  in  the  court-house  the  inaugural  address, 


25 


in  the  German  language,  entitled,  “ A few  words 
concerning  the  necessity  and  usefulness  of  homoe- 
opathy;” his  text,  so  to  speak,  being  the  words  of 
George  Washington:  “ There  is  but  one  right  way: 
to  seek  the  truth  and  steadily  to  pursue  it.”  The 
funds  that  were  believed  to  be  quite  sufficient  to 
provide  for  the  maintenance  of  the  Academy  until 
such  time  as  it  should  become  self-supporting  had 
been  raised,  but,  unfortunately,  this  well-intended 
scheme  miscarried ; not,  however,  from  intrinsic 
weakness,  nor  yet  from  any  fault  of  those  who 
had  its  management  in  charge.  In  the  troublous 
period  that  ended  in  the'  financial  crash  of  1837, 
the  banker  with  whom  the  endowment  fund  was 
deposited  made  a bad  failure,  and  the  money  upon 
which  the  academy  depended  for  its  immediate 
support  was  lost.  So  the  buildings  which  had 
been  erected,  and  used  but  so  short  a time,  were 
sold;  and  for  the  time  being  the  collegiate  teach- 
ing of  homoeopathy  in  America  came  to  an  end. 

Dr.  Hering  had  not  labored  in  vain.  During 
his  connection  with  the  institution  his  efforts  to 
disseminate  the  germs  of  homoeopathy  were  inde- 
fatigable. He  taught  the  principles  of  Hahne- 
mann, practiced  them  on  the  sick,  wrote  books 
and  pamphlets,  caused  the  German  text  books  to 


26 


be  translated  so  as  to  bring  tlieir  contents  within 
the  reach  of  all,  and  thus  “ became  the  corner- 
stone around  and  upon  which  his  associates  and 
colaborers  clustered  and  leaned  for  support.”  He 
made  many  warm  friends  both  among  the  laity 
and  his  professional  brethren.  At  the  instigation 
of  his  friend  Wesselhoeft  and  with  his  help  he 
labored  extensively  with  the  clergy  who  sought 
instruction  and  practised  the  new  art  con  amove 
upon  their  parishioners  who  lived  far  away  from 
the  new  doctors.  With  one  of  these  clergymen, 
the  Rev.  John  Helfrich,  Dr.  Hering  formed  a deep 
and  lasting  friendship,  and  before  the  close  of  his 
life  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  no  less  than 
seven  of  this  man’s  descendants,  sons,  grandsons 
and  nephews,  join  the  ranks  of  homoeopathy. 

While  somewhat  disheartened  by  this  financial 
failure,  Dr.  Hering  was  far  from  being  cast  down. 
The  active  practice  of  his  profession  in  Philadel- 
phia remained  to  him,  and  in  his  work  he  found  a 
substantial  profit  as  well  as  a constant  pleasure. 
A far  more  serious  sorrow  fell  upon  him  in  1840, 
in  the  death  of  his  second  wife;  a sorrow  that 
softened  only  with  time. 

His  fame  as  a leader  in  the  new  school  of  medi- 
cine by  this  time  was  established  in  Europe  as 


27 


well  as  in  America.  Several  years  after  the  col- 
lapse of  the  Allentown  Academy  he  received  an 
invitation  from  Hahnemann’s  widow  to  come  to 
Paris  and  succeed  to  her  late  husband’s  practice; 
and  later  he  was  invited  to  establish  himself  in 
London.  Honorable  and  tempting  as  these  in- 
vitations were,  he  refused  them  both.  After  sev- 
eral years  he  felt,  however,  the  need  of  change, 
of  recreation  after  the  sorrowful  experiences 
through  which  he  had  passed;  and  his  longing 
was  great  to  see  his  Fatherland  once  more.  So, 
giving  to  his  brother-in-law,  Dr.  Hussman,  the 
charge  of  his  Philadelphia  practice,  he  went 
over  to  Germany  to  visit  his  father  in  the  old 
home.  Here  he  remained  until  May,  1846,  and 
here  he  married  again.  His  third  wife  was 
Fraulein  Therese  Buchheim,  daughter  of  Dr. 
Christian  Friedrich  Buchheim  of  Bautzen,  Saxony, 
who  remained  the  faithful  partner  of  his  life  to 
its  close.  His  visit  to  Germany  was  shortened  by 
the  news  that  came  to  him  of  the  death  of  Dr. 
Hussman.  On  receiving  this  news  he  decided  at 
once  to  return  to  America;  and  he  came  back 
with  the  full  determination  to  make  Philadelphia 
his  permanent  home.  In  the  year  1852,  he  bought 


28 


the  house  in  Twelfth  street,  where  he  thencefor- 
ward lived  and  where  he  died. 

From  the  time  of  his  return  to  Philadelphia 
until  close  upon  the  time  of  his  death  he  led  the 
active,  trying  life  of  a city  physician  in  large 
practice;  a life  of  much  toil,  of  much  responsi- 
bility, of  little  rest.  And  yet  in  the  midst  of  this 
arduous  practice  of  his  profession  he  made  time 
for  other  good  work.  The  seeking  out  and  prov- 
ing of  new  remedies,  which  for  years  past  had  re- 
ceived much  attention  from  him,  was  zealously 
continued;  and  true  to  his  belief  that  he  who 
finds  must  give,  he  was  diligent  in  placing  in 
print,  and  so  within  the  reach  of  his  professional 
associates,  the  results  of  his  investigations.  His 
highly  important  discoveries,  both  in  therapeutics 
and  in  Materia  Medica*,  recorded  in  his  volu- 
minous writings,  remain  a lasting  testimony  to 
his  constant  labors,  and  the  fit  memorial  of 
his  useful  life.  Much  of  what  he  discovered  was 
immediately  imparted  orally  to  his  class  of  stu- 
dents in  the  Hahnemann  College.  In  this  insti- 
tution, which  he  helped  to  establish,  he  occupied 
the  Chair  of  Institutes  and  Materia  Medica,  and 

* For  a detailed  account  of  his  works  and  writings  see  Part  II,  prepared 
by  Dr.  C.  B.  Knerr. 


29 


latterly  the  position  of  Dean  until  18G9,  when,  in 
order  that  he  might  gain  time  to  finish  the  im- 
portant literary  work  that  he  had  in  hand,  his 
resignation  was  tendered  and  regretfully  accepted. 

During  his  later  years,  as  age  and  his  literary 
labors  pressed  upon  him,  as  a further  relief  from 
the  cares  of  his  profession  he  admitted  to  the 
honor  of  partnership  with  him  his  pupil  and  son- 
in-law,  Dr.  Calvin  B.  Knerr.  But  until  the  very 
last  he  continued  to  treat  a large  number  of  pa- 
tients in  their  homes  as  well  as  at  the  office,  and 
was  considered  indispensable  by  his  brother  physi- 
cians of  Philadelphia  in  all  important  consultation 
cases,  and  was  consulted  by  mail  or  telegraph  in 
critical  cases  by  homoeopathic  physicians  living 
in  the  United  States  as  well  as  abroad.  Indeed, 
he  loved  his  profession  so  heartily  that  while 
strength  remained  to  him  he  would  not  upon 
any  consideration  relinquish  its  active  duties. 

On  March  23d,  1876,  he  celebrated,  or  rather 
his  friends  celebrated,  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of 
his  graduation  in  medicine.  An  engrossed  parch- 
ment, handsomely  framed,  was  presented  to  him 
by  his  professional  associates.  This  parchment 
bore  the  following  inscription  : 


30 


To  Our  Revered  and  Beloved  Colleague, 
Constantine  Hering, 

Who,  having  received  the  Degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine  from  the  Univer- 
sity of  Wurzburg,  March  23d,  1826,  to-day,  by  the  favor  of  Heaven,  wit- 
nesses the  Fiftieth  Anniversary  of  that  occasion,  we,  the  Homoeopathic 
Physicians  of  Philadelphia,  in  Mass  Meeting  assembled,  offer  our  affection- 
ate congratulations  and  good  wishes. 

To  his  exceptional  intellectual  ability,  untiring  industry,  broad  culture 
and  liberal  spirit,  Homoeopathy  pre-eminently  owes  her  firm  establishment 
and  vigorous  growth  in  America.  The  year  of  his  Jubilee  finds  him  still 
occupied,  in  the  same  spirit,  in  labors  for  the  same  end. 

Passing  in  review  the  forty-three  years  of  his  fellow-citizenship  with  us, 
we  regard  with  grateful  admiration  his  labors  in  the  broad  field  of  science, 
his  unselfish  devotion  to  the  advancement  of  the  Art  of  Healing,  his  gen- 
erous demeanor  towards  his  fellow- workers,  and  the  pure  record  of  his  spot- 
less life. 

May  a kind  Providence  long  spare  him  to  a profession  which  he  honors, 
and  to  colleagues  in  whose  heart  he  is  cherished. 

Attest:  Jacob  Jeanes,  M.D., 

A.  R.  Thomas,  M.D.,  President.  A.  W.  Koch,  M.D., 

Robert  J.  McClatchey,  M.D.,  Secretary.  C.  Neidhard,  M.D, 

H.  N.  Guernsey,  M.D, 

C.  G.  Raue,  M.D, 

Richard  Gardiner,  M.D., 
Committee  of  Signers. 


On  the  same  occasion  the  following  addresses 
were  made  by  his  friends  Drs.  P.  P.  Wells,  H.  N. 
Guernsey  and  Carroll  Dunham. 

Dr.  P.  P.  Wells  spoke  as  follows: 

Gentlemen:— On  the  first  day  of  January,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1800, 
in  the  town  of  Oschatz,  in  Saxony,  there  was  a remarkable  event.  It  was 


31 


the  birth  of  a baby.  Do  you  say  there  was  nothing  uncommon  in  that?  I 
reply,  this  was  no  common  baby.  It  was  a very  remarkable  baby,  and  this 
was  soon  manifest.  For  immediately  on  his  finding  himself  thrust  into  a 
world  where  he  was  compelled  to  do  his  own  breathing,  he  at  once  began, 
with  ceaseless  activity,  endeavoring  to  find  out  all  about  it.  In  this  he 
was  probably  the  most  active  baby  that  ever  was  born.  He  was  never 
quiet,  but  ever  restless,  day  and  night,  sleeping  but  little,  for  the  most  part 
wide  awake  and  busy,  finding  it  out.  Do  you  ask  how  I know  this?  I 
have  it  by  infallible  inference  from  the  fact  that  they  named  this  baby 
Constantine  Heringl  So  the  baby  lived  and  grew,  sturdy  and  strong, 
ever  thus  employed,  till  babyhood  became  boyhood,  and  even  this,  strange 
as  it  may  seem,  brought  no  change  as  to  this  singular  idiosyncrasy,  he  was 
ever  and  incessantly  trying  to  find  it  out.  This  boy  expanded  into  the 
youth,  and  he  was  the  same,  still  finding  it  out.  The  youth  had  just  merged 
into  early  manhood,  when  in  March,  1826,  and  on  the  23d  day  of  that 
month,  the  University  of  Wurzburg  presented  him  to  the  world  as  a Doctor 
of  Medicine,  and  by  this  time  he  had  found  out  a good  deal.  In  the  May 
following  he  received  the  honorable  appointment  of  Teacher  of  Mathe- 
matics and  the  Natural  Sciences  in  Blochmann’s  Institute,  in  the  City  of 
Dresden.  In  connection  with  this  Institute,  and  in  the  interests  of  Natural 
Science,  the  king  of  Saxony  sent  him  to  the  Southern  part  of  this  continent, 
in  November  of  the  same  year.  In  this  new  situation  the  habits  of  early 
life  were  equally  conspicuous.  Enquiry  and  experiment  were  his  constant 
employment.  In  these  he  never  grew  weary,  and  from  these  he  never 
ceased  till  he  had  accomplished  the  objects  of  his  mission ; work  ever 
seemed  his  only  rest.  In  these  labors  nothing  by  its  minuteness  escaped 
his  observation ; nothing  by  greatness  his  mastering ; nothing  by  its  evan- 
escence eluded  his  grasp.  The  molecule,  the  planet,  and  the  lightning 
even  were  each  and  equally  compelled  to  stand  and  yield  up  their  secrets 
to  the  mastering  mind  of  this  young  man.  He  continued  in  these  employ- 
ments in  Surinam,  S.  A.,  about  seven  years.  There  was  but  one  thing  in 
all  the  difficulties  attending  his  pursuits  which  he  never  could  find  out. 
That  was  the  practical  meaning  of  the  word  impossible.  I strongly  suspect 
he  never  believed  there  was  such  a word. 


32 


But  on  the  present  occasion  it  is  not  so  much  the  man  of  science  as  the 
physician  with  which  we  have  to  do.  We  have  said  he  was  made  a doctor 
in  1826.  The  remarkable  thing  about  this  is,  they  made  an  old  school 
doctor  of  him,  and  he  survived  it.  Survived  it,  retaining  his  earliest,  early 
and  later  thirst  for  knowledge,  with  increasing  diligence  in  its  pursuit. 
This  is  certainly  very  remarkable,  in  view  of  the  known  fact  that  a young 
doctor  no  sooner  lays  his  hand  on  the  precious  parchment,  than  he  is  seized 
with  the  absorbing  conceit  that  now  he  knows  all  about  it.  This  is  especially 
apparent  in  the  case  of  old-school  young  doctors.  Under  the  influence  of 
this  delusion  they  almost  uniformly  drift  away  together  into  a total  dark- 
ness as  to  all  laws  which  can  throw  light  on  the  science  of  therapeutics  or 
direct  its  practice.  The  escape  of  our  young  friend  from  this  common  fate 
can  only  be  explained  when  we  know  the  fact  that  previous  to  the  recep- 
tion of  this  doctorate,  he  had  become  a convert  to  the  truths  of  homoe- 
opathy. This  saved  him.  Anchored  to  these  he  went  out  to  bless  the 
world  by  teaching  them  to  others,  and  in  the  exercise  of  his  pristine  rest- 
less activity,  to  advance  from  these  to  a knowledge  of  new  facts  and  princi- 
ples in  harmony  with  them,  till  he  had  gathered  from  his  survey  of  the 
broad  field  of  nature  before  him,  such  stores  of  knowledge  of  phenomena 
of  disease,  the  effects  of  external  agents  on  the  living  organism,  the  rela- 
tions of  these  latter  to  the  former,  which  constitute  them  their  curatives, 
that  he  soon  stood  before  the  profession  an  acknowledged  master,  the  peer 
of  the  noblest  of  them  all. 

Having  accomplished  the  objects  of  his  mission  to  Surinam,  he  started 
for  his  native  country,  in  his  progress  to  which  he  landed  in  Philadelphia, 
in  January,  1833,  with  the  purpose  of  soon  resuming  his  journey,  and  in 
Dresden  again  to  return  to  his  official  duties  in  the  Institute,  to  the  official 
staff  of  which  he  was  still  attached.  But  this  he  was  never  more  to  do. 
Providence  blessed  us  by  permitting  him,  who  had  mastered  the  planets 
and  the  lightning,  to  be  himself  conquered  by  the  conqueror  of  us  all,  sooner 
or  later.  I need  not  say  that  victor  was  a lovely  woman.  She  cast  her 
spell  over  him  and  he  was  bound  by  it  and  could  go  no  further.  She  be- 
came his,  and  through  her  power  over  him  he  became  hers  and  ours  from 
thenceforth. 


33 


These  were  the  circumstances  and  this  the  manner  of  the  advent  among 
us,  now  more  than  forty-three  years  ago,  of  the  man  from  whom  has  gone 
out,  more  th^n  from  any  and  all  others,  light  and  teaching  which  have 
made  homoeopathy  what  it  is  in  the  land  to-day,  a recognized  power  of 
beneficence,  which,  whoever  will,  may  hate,  but  only  the  recklessly  daring 
will  longer  make  the  object  of  a sneer,  as  all  did  at  the  beginning  of  his 
career  among  us,  even  the  most  pusillanimous  and  contemptible. 

It  may  be  well  to  look  a moment  at  the  state  of  things  in  the  country  at 
that  time,  as  to  all  belonging  to  his  favorite  doctrines  and  practice.  There 
were  no  text-books  in  the  language  of  the  country,  from  which,  if  any 
were  desirous  of  doing  so,  they  could  learn  its  principles.  There  were  no 
manuals  of  Materia  Medica  or  repertories  to  aid  any  who  might  wish  to 
make  practical  application  of  the  law  of  cure  which  homoeopathy  had 
proclaimed.  There  was  almost  no  literature  from  which  a knowledge  of 
that  system  of  curing,  so  generally  believed  to  be  absurd  and  as  generally 
ridiculed,  could  be  obtained.  There  were  no  schools  where  the  homoe- 
opathic system  of  medicine  was  taught.  There  was  here  and  there  one 
scattered  over  the  Eastern  part  of  the  country  (with  one  exception,  not  two 
in  any  one  place),  but  few  altogether,  who  were  endeavoring  to  practice,  in 
part  or  in  whole,  with  the  light  which  was  in  them,  according  to  the  law 
of  healing  which  Hahnemann  had  promulgated.  These,  taken  as  a whole, 
were  not  sufficient  to  modify  in  a great  degree  the  total  darkness  which 
prevailed,  as  to  all  knowledge  of  natural  law  or*  principles  controlling 
therapeutics  of  the  time.  Now  how  different  is  all  this.  We  have  text- 
books, manuals,  repertories,  literature  and  schools.  Instead  of  the  few 
scattered  struggling  ones  who  then  scarcely  gave  light  enough  to  make  the 
prevailing  darkness  apparent,  now  there  are  thousands  of  intelligent  prac- 
titioners of  the  school,  furnished  with  all  needed  helps  to  facilitate  their 
labors  and  aid  their  success.  Such  is  the  contrast  between  1833  and  1876- 

Now,  as  we  have  said,  from  Constantine  Hering  more  than  from  any 
other  man  or  men,  have  gone  out  the  forces  which  directly  or  indirectly 
have  wrought  this  great  change.  He  taught  publicly  and  privately,  and  he 
has  taught  incessantly,  because  he  could  not  help  it.  Publicly  in  Allen- 
town and  Philadelphia.  Privately  wherever  he  has  been,  in  season  and 

3 


34 


out  of  season,  always  teaching.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  value  of  his 
public  instructions,  and  we  esteem  them  at  the  highest,  we  have  no  doubt 
those  which  were  more  and  most  private,  have  contributed  more  to  the 
spread  and  triumphs  of  homoeopathy,  and  the  increase  of  the  number  of  its 
practitioners.  The  abundance  of  these,  and  their  influence  on  the  minds 
and  practice  of  men,  none  but  the  Omfriscient  can  ever  know.  No  one 
who  has  been  blest  with  their  benefits  will  ever  forget  them.  Rich,  free, 
full,  generous,  abundant,  asking  no  reward  but  a listening  ear  and  an  ab- 
sorbing mind,  he  was  never  weary  of  instructing  the  ignorant,  strengthen- 
ing the  weak,  encouraging  the  doubting  and  fearing,  and  leading  any  who 
needed  guidance  into  clearer  light  and  a self-sustaining  confidence. 

Early  in  the  history  of  this  period  of  change,  even  in  distant»New  Eng- 
land, whose  inhabitants  have  a traditional  reputation  for  a disposition  to 
find  things  out,  there  was  here  and  there  one  who  had  heard  that  there  was 
a system  of  cure  called  homoeopathy ; that  it  gave  increased  power  to  cure, 
as  compared  with  the  ancient  school  of  practice  founded  on  mere  hypothe- 
sis, and  that  there  was  a man  in  Philadelphia  who  knew  something  about 
it.  These  went  there  and  to  him,  were  taught,  and  returned  with  light, 
which  they  were,  more  than  for  any  other  thing,  anxious  to  make  known 
to  their  neighbors.  These  neighbors  came,  and  they  were  in  turn  followed 
by  others,  till  the  number  was  great  who  came  to  this  centre  of  light,  as  to 
the  Mecca  of  the  new  faith,  and  Constantine  Hering  became  their  prophet. 
It  was  in  this  way  that  homoeopathy  spread  so  rapidly  in  those  days,  and 
this  place  and  man  became  the  centre  of  the  great  light.  I myself  was  one 
of  those  pilgrims  in  1842.  I know  no  way  in  wrhich  I can  show  so  satis- 
factorily the  spirit  and  manner  of  this  private  teaching,  the  noble,  generous 
heart  of  the  teacher,  his  unparalleled  unselfishness  and  his  unwearied  pa- 
tience, as  by  relating  my  first  introduction  to  him  by  letter,  at  his  residence 
in  Philadelphia,  and  what  followed.  After  reading  the  letter  he  said, 
“how  long  do  you  remain  in  town?”  When  told,  he  said  “come  to  me 
to-morrow  afternoon  at  3 o’clock,  and  I will  see  no  one  else.”  At  this  time 
his  consultation  room  was  thronged  by  such  numbers  as  have  rarely  been 
found  in  any  other.  Of  course  I did  not  fail  to  keep  the  appointment. 
He  took  me  to  a private  room,  turned  the  key  in  the  lock,  heeded  no  taps 


35 


at  the  door,  and  from  this  time  till  far  into  the  small  hours  of  the  night  he 
was  telling  me  just  what  I needed  to  know,  without  the  least  cessation. 
This  was  only  interrupted  by  my  inability  to  endure  longer  absorption, 
being  an  invalid,  and  not  in  the  least  by  his  tiring  of  pouring  from  his 
overflowing  fulness  into  my  empty  vessel.  Apparently  he  was  quite  will- 
ing to  go  on  to  I don’t  know  what  limit.  When  told  I must  leave  and  the 
cause,  he  at  once  said  “ come  to  me  to-morrow  afternoon  at  3 o’clock,  and  I 
will  see  no  one  else.”  The  second  call  was  a repetition  of  the  first,  in  the 
matters  of  instruction  given  and  received,  duration  into  the  small  hours, 
and  like  the  other  was  brought  to  an  end  only  by  my  inability  to  endure 
longer.  He  not  only  told  me  just  what  I needed  to  know,  but  what  has 
been  of  practical  use  to  me  from  that  day  to  this.  And  this  was  all  with 
such  an  air  of  evident  satisfaction  and  enjoyment  on  his  part,  that  I have 
no  recollection  of  thanking  him  for  his  kindness.  He  dismissed  me  with 
so  much  of  the  manner  of  one  who  had  just  been  blessed  himself,  rather 
than  of  one  who  had  been  imparting  his  wealth  to  another,  that  the  picture 
as  it  is  now  in  my  memory,  is  a living,  pleasing  illustration  of  the  truth,  it 
is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive.  I don’t  believe  I thanked  you 
then,  sir,  for  your  abundant  goodness.  I do  not  remember  that  I did,  but 
I do  it  now  from  the  very  centre  of  a warm,  grateful  heart.  Be  assured, 
sir,  I have  never  ceased  to  hold  in  memory  a sense  of  your  great  goodness, 
or  of  the  greatness  of  the  benefit  you  then  conferred  on  me. 

Gentlemen,  I have  no  reason  for  supposing  this  t®  be  an  exceptional  case 
at  all.  There  was  no  cause  for  partiality  on  his  part  for  me.  He  had 
never  heard  my  name  or  seen  it,  till  he  read  the  note  I handed  him.  I 
had  no  claim  on  him  for  the  least  favor.  There  was  nothing  in  me  per- 
sonally to  call  out  such  unexampled  beneficence.  The  whole  was  a spon- 
taneous overflow  of  his  generous  nature,  such  as  always  blessed  the  needy 
who  called  on  him.  And  it  has  been  by  a continuance  of  such  acts  that  he 
has  made  the  impress  of  his  mind  so  broad  and  deep  on  the  homoeopathic 
profession  in  this  country.  First,  directly  on  those  who  came  into  imme- 
diate contact  with  him ; and  second,  and  indirectly,  on  those  who  were  in- 
fluenced in  turn  by  the  truths  and  principles  these  visitors  carried  away 
with  them.  The  extent  of  this  has  been  so  great  that  it  is  safe  to  affirm  it 


36 


surpasses  that  made  by  any  other  or  all  others  of  his  cotemporaries.  So 
quietly  and  unostentatiously  has  this  process  of  private  teaching  been  going 
on,  that  it  may  be  there  are  few  who  are  aware  that  we  are  indebted  to  this 
man  more  than  to  any  others,  for  what  homoeopathy  is  in  this  land  to-day. 

And  then,  further,  he  has  taught  us  by  contributions  to  the  literature  of 
our  school,  to  an  extent  surpassing  those  of  any  man.  The  importance  of 
these  contributions  is  equal  to  their  extent.  The  writings  of  no  other  man 
are  so  compact  with  thought,  so  abounding  with  facts  contributed  to  our 
knowledge,  with  suggestions  of  relationships  of  these  to  other  facts  and  to 
each  other,  so  luminous  with  the  effulgence  of  genius,  so  astonishing  by 
the  great  labors  they  disclose.  The  wealth  of  thought  and  suggestion  in 
these  is  so  great,  that  in  view  of  it  one  of  the  ablest  masters  of  our  school, 
Haynel,  said  to  me — “Other  men  are  constantly  catching  up  the  sparks 
which  Hering  is  constantly  throwing  off,  and  expanding  them  into  great 
fires,  and  passing  them  off  as  their  own.”  And  this  is  true.  Take  from 
the  literature  of  homceopathy  the  contributions  of  Hering,  and  you  have 
robbed  it  of  half  its  wealth. 

And  now,  gentlemen,  I thank  you  for  honoring  me  with  the  pleasant 
duty  of  tendering  our  united  homage  to  our  loved  master  and  friend. 
While  doing  this  I am  assured  that  in  view  of  his  life  long  labors  and  their 
results,  of  his  never  failing  loyalty  to  truth,  his  unwearied  and  incessant 
endeavors  for  its  advancement  and  defence,  of  his  ever  generous,  abundant 
and  free  instructions  to  those  who  were  in  need,  and  above  all,  of  his  spot- 
less example  as  physician,  citizen  and  friend,  you  will  join  me  as  with  one 
heart,  while  I say  to  him — Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant. 

And  to  you  gentlemen,  I would  say,  when  you  regard  whatever  in  his 
character,  life-work  and  devotion  to  truth,  that  which  is  most  worthy,  re- 
member the  homage  which  his  great  and  good  heart  craves  most  of  all  from 
you,  is  contained  in  an  obedience  to  this  brief  exhortation — Go  thou  and 
DO  LIKEWISE. 

Dr.  Henry  N.  Guernsey  spoke  as  follows: 

Gentlemen : — It  is  with  feelings  of  veneration  that  I rise  to  respond  to  the 
toast  Homceopathy — that  caus2  for  which  our  distinguished  colleague,  Dr. 


37 


Constantine  Hering,  in  honor  of  whose  jubilee  we  have  assembled  to- 
night, has  devoted  so  much  of  his  lifetime,  so  much  of  the  severest  labor, 
mental  and  physical,  and  for  the  advancement  of  which  he  ha6  accom- 
plished so  much,  that  his  name  must  be  co-identical  with  the  science  for  all 
coming  time.  For  centuries  back  there  has  been  a constant  reform  and 
progress  for  the  better  in  all  the  arts  and  sciences.  The  great  religious 
reformation  of  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries,  arising  after  the  im- 
portant discovery  of  the  art  of  printing,  were  to  be  followed  by  reforms  of 
none  the  less  value  to  the  human  race. 

Less  than  a century  ago,  people  in  every  part  of  the  civilized  world  were 
feeling  the  need  of  another  reform — a grand  reform  in  medicine.  The  bar- 
barous modes  of  practice  then  in  use,  involving  nauseous  and  poisonous 
doses,  deleterious  and  disgusting  mixtures,  that  loved  ones  were  compelled 
to  swallow,  resulting  in  more  harm  than  good,  conspired  to  cause  a crv  to 
go  forth : t(  O that  the  Lord  would  send  us  something — some  little  sweet 
something,  that  we  may  take  when  sick  to  make  us  well  again ! ” 

This  prayer,  so  earnestly  uttered,  the  Lord  has  answered,  in  sending  us 
homoeopathy. 

Homoeopathy  is  a divine  institution,  and  should  be  most  sacredly  held 
in  trust  by  all  its  votaries,  even  as  it  was  held  by  Samuel  Hahnemann, 
whom  the  Lord  deputed  to  impart  it,  and  by  his  faithful  disciple,  whom 
we  have  brought  here  to-night,  to  show  our  gratitude,  and  whom  we  de- 
light to  honor.  Homoeopathy  has  shed  a new  light  upon  the  whole  medi- 
cal world,  and  is  everywhere  making  apparent  its  beneficial  results.  It 
teaches  us  that  diseases  are  not  entities — that  they  are  not  open  to  the 
natural  sight,  touch  or  taste,  neither  are  they  subject  to  the  effects  of 
weights  or  measures. 

The  scalpel  cannot  reveal,  nor  can  the  microscope  behold  them.  All 
diseases  are  morbid  effects  of  disordered  dynamic  forces,  and  to  cure  such 
an  effect  we  must  seek  a dynamic  force  from  the  medical  kingdom,  whose 
subtlety  in  degree  and  quality  equals  the  subtlety  in  degree  and  quality  of 
that  dynamic  force,  producing  the  disease.  This,  and  this  alone,  is  homoe- 
opathy. This  science,  based  upon  the  law  similia  similibus  eurantur,  is  as 
true  as  the  Bible!  It  comes  from  the  same  source,  and  it  must  ever  shine 


38 


as  the  great  beacon-liglit  in  medical  science,  as  the  Bible  is  the  great 
beacon-light  in  the  science  of  theology.  It  must  ever  continue  to  heal 
more  and  more  the  suffering  of  the  human  race,  as  we  come  more  and 
more  under  its  real  influence.  It  must  ever  and  ever  continue  to  over- 
come all  other  methods  of  medical  practice,  until  homoeopathy  reigns 
supreme,  as  the  grand  and  only  law  of  cure  for  all  manner  of  diseases  in 
all  varieties  of  living  creatures. 

Dr.  Carroll  Dunham  spoke  as  follows: 

Gentlemen  of  Philadelphia : — An  invitation  to  Philadelphia,  the  Mecca 
of  American  medicine,  and  especially  of  American  homoeopathic  medi- 
cine, could  not  fail  to  meet  a cordial  response  from  every  homoeopathic 
physician.  An  invitation  from  so  numerous  a body  of  our  colleagues, 
representing  so  worthily  our  schools,  our  literature  and  our  press,  and 
on  an  occasion  so  interesting  as  the  celebration  of  the  jubilee  of  our 
venerated  colleague,  Dr.  Hering,  so  touches  us,  that  I am  sure  I utter 
the  sentiments  of  all  of  my  associates,  when  I thank  you,  in  their  name  and 
my  own,  with  my  whole  heart,  for  this  opportunity,  to  unite  with  you  in 
your  graceful  testimonial  of  homage  and  love  to  our  honored  friend. 

If  the  opportunity  had  been  as  great  as  your  large-hearted  hospitality, 
and  could  have  embraced  the  wide  expanse  of  our  country,  these  walls 
could  not  have  contained  the  legion  of  those  who  would  have  come  up 
hither  to  honor  themselves,  by  honoring  your  venerable  guest. 

Gentlemen,  this  banquet,  which  your  hospitality  and  good  taste  have 
crowded  with  viands  from  the  ends  of  the  earth,  and  decorated  with  flowers 
of  every  variety  of  loveliness  and  fragrance,  constrains  me  to  speak  of  the 
banquet  at  which  our  friend  Dr.  Hering  has  been  entertaining  us  all,  and 
all  of  our  school  in  every  part  of  the  world,  for  a far  longer  time  than  my 
personal  memory  can  recall. 

For  forty  years  the  feast  of  reason  has  been  spread  in  his  study.  The 
bill  of  fare,  in  our  English  and  in  his  native  German,  has  been  widely  dis- 
tributed. The  strong  meat  of  scientific  reasoning,  the  choicest  fruits  of 
keen  and  sagacious  observation,  the  wine  of  a cheerful,  hopeful  confidence 


39 


in  the  unity  and  consistency  of  natural  law,  the  salt  and  spices  of  a pungent 
wit  and  a wholesome  satire,  the  milk  of  human  kindness  and  the  flowers 
of  poesy,  have  loaded  the  table,  at  which  every  student  has  met  with  a 
princely  welcome,  the  only  condition  being  that  he  should  be  hungry  and 
should  eat. 

Twenty-eight  years  have  passed  since  I,  a hungry  student,  knocked  at 
Dr.  Hering’s  door,  asking  for  mental  food,  and  daring  to  expect  at  best  a 
crust,  or  a soup-ticket  directing  me  to  some  college.  I was  welcomed  to 
his  festive  board,  and  there  I have  feasted  ever  since. 

There  is  this  peculiarity  about  his  banquet,  that,  whereas  here,  what 
was  order  an  hour  ago  is  now  confusion  and  a mass  of  debris,  his  table, 
spread  for  forty  years,  is  now  fuller  and  richer  than  ever,  though  so  many 
have  partaken  of  his  cheer ! Nay,  he  has  assured  me  that  though  guests 
come  lean  and  hungry,  as  I did,  and  take  their  fill,  as  I did,  yet  they 
rather  add  to  than  diminish  his  store. 

To  one  thing  I know  they  add — to  the  blessed  consciousness  of  having 
done  great  good,  of  having  made  the  rough  paths  smooth  for  multitudes  of 
his  colleagues,  and  through  them,  to  multitudes  of  the  people;  a conscious- 
ness which,  under  whatever  trials,  must  gladden  these  years  of  our  dear 
friend’s  life ! 

At  a time  when  many  men  give  up  their  labors,  Dr.  Hering  is  crowding 
his  table  with  choicer  viands  than  he  has  ever  offered  us ; and  his  welcome 
is  still  extended,  as  heartily  as  ever,  to  those  who  hunger  for  knowledge. 

Gratefully  acknowledging  the  courtesy  of  your  entertainment,  we  utter 
our  fervent  gratitude  to  him  in  whose  honor  you  give  it,  and  pray  for  his 
health  and  welfare  among  you  in  the  many  years  which  we  hope  are  still 
in  store  for  him. 

» 

For  a number  of  years  preceding  his  death,  Dr. 
Hering  was  troubled  with  an  asthmatic  affection 
that,  while  not  threatening  his  life,  caused  him 
much  suffering.  In  June  and  July,  1872,  he  had 
a severe  attack  of  gastric  fever  that  lasted  for 


40 


more  than  four  weeks,  and  that  left  him  for  a con- 
siderable time  sensibly  weakened.  In  the  summer 
of  1876,  during  the  session  of  the  International 
Congress  of  Homoeopathic  Physicians,  after  expo- 
sure to  the  hot  July  sun,  he  fell  seriously  ill. 
This  illness  continued  for  several  months,  and 
before  entire  recovery  was  made  one  of  his  at- 
tacks of  asthma  came  on.  The  attack  seized  him 
in  November  and  did  not  entirely  relinquish  its 
hold  upon  him  until  the  following  March.  Dur- 
ing this  long  period  of  prostration  his  inability  to 
work  distressed  him  greatly.  He  spoke  of  sick- 
ness as  a miserable  state  of  existence,  and  for  a 
long  while  he  remained  sad  and  depressed.  In 
February,  1877,  when  he  was  beginning  some- 
what to  revive,  the  death  of  his  dear  friend  Dr. 
Carroll  Dunham  took  place,  and  the  lively  sorrow 
caused  by  this  loss  again  cast  down  his  spirit  and 
materially  retarded  his  recovery.  Excepting  the 
recurring  attacks  of  asthma,  the  last  two  years  of 
Dr.  Hering’s  life  were  unattended  by  any  marked 
symptoms  of  illness ; indeed,  shortly  before  his 
death,  which  was  sudden, — the  manner  of  which 
will  be  described  later  on — he  had  tolerable  health. 

Dr.  Hering’s  coming  to  the  United  States  was 
the  result  of  well  considered  intention.  He  came 


i 


41 


not  to  make  an  experiment,  but  to  carry  out  a 
carefully  matured  plan.  After  his  arrival  here  he 
continued  the  study  of  our  national  institutions 
that  he  had  begun  in  Suriname;  and  so  fitted  him- 
self thoughtfully  and  conscientiously  to  be  a good 
citizen  of  his  adopted  country.  In  politics  he 
early  took  an  intelligent  interest,  which  later — 
when  the  events  which  induced  the  civil  war  were 
crystalizing — developed  into  a fervent  enthusiasm. 
When  Fremont  was  nominated  for  the  Presidency 
his  whole  soul  was  in  the  nomination.  He  earn- 
estly upheld  the  principles  which  Fremont  repre- 
sented, and  he  warmly  admired  that  gallant  young 
officer  “who  displayed  a noble  courage  in  far- 
reaching  undertakings ; who  braved  the  dangers  of 
hunger  and  cold;  who  enriched  all  the  branches  of 
the  natural  sciences,  and  who  threw  light  upon  a 
vast  and  almost  unknown  territory.”  During  the 
ensuing  political  campaign  he  went  to  the  trouble 
of  making  elaborate  comparative  statistical  tables 
in  which  he  exhibited  the  proportion  of  whites  to 
blacks;  of  whites  who  could  read,  to  whites  who 
could  not,  and  of  foreign  born  whites  to  native 
whites  in  the  several  States  and  Territories;  and 
he  gave  also  very  heartily  his  personal  influence 
toward  securing  Fremont’s  election.  His  earnest- 


42 


ness  in  this  matter  was  due  in  great  part  to  his 
intense  hatred  of  slavery;  and  this  same  feeling 
caused  him  to  throw  himself  with  the  whole 
strength  of  his  being  upon  the  side  of  the  North 
when  the  war  at  last  came. 

Dr.  Hering  identified  himself  with  the  country 
of  which  he  had  become  a self-elected  citizen.  He 
took  pleasure  in  promoting  the  cause  of  learning, 
both  by  acting  in  conjunction  with  the  several 
learned  societies  of  which  he  was  a member,  and 
also  by  personally  aiding  many  deserving  young 
men  in  their  struggle  for  education.  He  be- 
longed to  various  charitable  organizations,  which 
were  the  better  managed  for  his  advice,  and  the 
better  enabled  to  carry  out  their  purposes  by  his 
assistance;  and  he  did  the  work  of  many  char- 
itable organizations  himself — a more  zealous,  a 
more  wisely  liberal  man  than  he  never  lived.  He 
kept  himself  abreast  of  the  news  of  the  day,  local, 
national  and  general,  and  founded  upon  his  knowl- 
edge opinions  — positive,  clear-cut  and  usually 
sound.  And  when  the  opportunity  arose  for  him 
to  make  his  personal  force  felt  in  support  of  his 
opinions  he  acted  as  decisively  as  he  was  wont  to 
speak. 

Yet,  while  thus  discharging  faithfully  and  posi- 


43 


tively  his  duties  as  an  American  citizen,  he  never 
lost  his  love  for  his  Fatherland.  He  was  deeply 
interested  in  German  affairs  always,  and  even  in 
his  young  manhood  he  had  faith  in  the  eventual 
accomplishment  of  German  unity.  In  the  year 
1826,  while  on  a visit  to  Cologne,  he  was  present 
at  a banquet  at  which  he  predicted  the  completion 
of  the  great  cathedral.  His  prophecy  was  received 
with  much  mirth,  but,  undaunted,  he  arose  and 
gave  as  a toast  the  sentiment:  “The  Cathedral  of 
Cologne  will  be  completed  as  surely  as  Germany 
will  become  one  and  united!”  With  a good  deal 
of  ironical  laughter  the  toast  was  drunk,  and  the 
young  doctor  was  not  a little  complimented  upon 
his  excellent  skill  as  a satirist.  But  he  meant  no 
satire;  he  was  in  dead  earnest,  and  before  he  died 
Germany  in  very  truth  was  united,  and  the  com- 
pletion of  the  cathedral  was  assured.  During  all 
the  years  of  weary  waiting  his  faith  in  the  accom- 
plishment of  German  unity  never  wavered.  In- 
deed, it  strengthened  with  his  strength.  How 
well  he  foresaw  what  was  to  come  is  shown  in  a 
lecture  that  he  delivered  in  the  year  1860,  on  the 
Natural  Boundary,  an  utterance  most  remarkable 
as  it  now  is  seen  in  the  light  of  subsequent  events. 

A fit  pendant  to  this  lecture  is  the  following 


44 


account*  of  the  celebration  which  took  place  at 
Dr.  Hering’s  house,  ten  years  later,  when  the  unity 
of  Germany  had  ceased  to  be  a hope  and  had  be- 
come a fact. 

The  unity  of  the  Germans  was  celebrated  in  a Family  Festival  at  the 
residence  of  the  venerable  Dr.  Constantine  Hering,  on  Twelfth  street  to- 
day. The  exercises  began  at  7 A.  m.  The  following  was  the  programme : 

Music  by  a quartet  band  of  brass  instruments  under  the  direction  of  Carl 
Gaertner. 

Wie  schoen  leuchtet  uns  der  Morgenstern.  Nicolai,  1599.  “How  beauti- 
ful the  Morning  Star.” 

Dr.  Koch,  who  was  then  introduced  by  Dr.  Hering,  said : 

If  in  any  family  any  great  event  takes  place,  be  it  happy  or  unhappy, 
joyful  or  sad,  the  friends  of  the  house  assemble  and  express  their  sympathy 
or  love,  as  the  circumstances  may  dictate ; that  is,  they  will  either  betray 
sorrow,  grief  and  affection,  or  they  will,  on  a different  occasion,  express 
their  joy,  happiness  or  gratitude.  As  single  families,  so  are  great  families 
of  nations  subject  to  occurrences  which,  happy  or  unhappy,  joyous  or  sad, 
exert  an  influence  either  advantageous  and  productive  of  good,  or  disturb- 
ing and  prejudicial,  not  only  upon  the  inner  form  and  order  of  government, 
but  also  as  the  single  members  of  the  nation’s  family. 

As  you  all  know,  seven  weeks  ago  a family,  ambitious,  haughty,  desirous 
of  glory,  and  believing  itself  invincible — the  French  nation— without 
cause,  threw  the  gauntlet  jeeringly  at  the  feet  of  the  German  family,  with 
the  vain  presumption  of  dividing  its  members,  taking  possession  of  its 
country  and  plundering  it.  The  infamous  declaration  of  war  was  accepted. 
The  whole  German  family,  sire  and  son,  husband  and  wife,  brother  and 
sister,  united  like  molten  metal  into  one  solid  mass,  one  gigantic  body. 
Germany,  the  land  which  had  so  often  been  visited  by  sore  affliction,  its 
inhabitants  disunited  and  robbed  of  its  territory,  but  now  a united  Ger- 
many, without  stooping  to  pick  up  the  soiled  gauntlet,  grasped  with  power- 


* From  the  Philadelphia  Evening  Bulletin,  September  10th,  1870. 


45 


ful  hand  the  sword,  and  not  only  repelled  the  haughty  invader,  but  drove 
him  back  into  his  home,  where  he  is  now  awaiting  the  course  things  will 
pursue. 

In  order  to  express  our  sympathy,  joy  and  exultation  with  true  German 
feeling  and  character,  at  the  brilliant  and  unexpected  success  of  our  Ger- 
man brothers,  we  to-day  assemble,  at  the  invitation  of  our  friend  Dr.  Her- 
ing,  to  celebrate  a Family  Festival , in  which  we  gladly  participate  to  ex- 
press our  warmest  congratulations  on  the  happy  victories  of  the  United 
German  people,  and  sing  hymns  of  Praise  to  the  Father  of  all. 

Thus  shall  it  be:  No  Suabia-land  ; no  Prussia-land  ; no  Pomerania-land  ; 
no  Bavaria-land ; but  one  Family-land — one  strong,  united  German 
Fatherland ! ! 

Music. 

Ein  feste  Burg  ist  unser  Gott. — Luther,  1529.  “A  mighty  fortress  is 
our  Lord.” 

Rev.  Dr.  Barrett  said  that  he  was  pleased  to  meet  with  Dr.  Hering  and 
his  friends,  this  morning,  to  render  thanks  to  Almighty  God  for  the  won- 
derful things  He  had  done  for  the  cause  of  right  and  humanity  in  Europe ; 
for  we  have  seen,  in  six  weeks,  that  imposter  and  miserable  schemer,  Louis 
Napoleon,  overthrown,  and  his  dynasty  ended.  He  had  only  to  regret  that 
the  republicans  in  France  failed  to  see  that  this  war  had  been  brought  upon 
Germany  by  the  Emperor,  who  was  indeed  France,  and  that  the  Germans 
had  been  compelled  in  self-defence  to  invade  the  French  territory.  It  was 
now  the  clear  duty  of  the  Republicans  who  had  come  in  possession  of  the 
French  Government  to  sue  for  peace,  and  beg  the  clemency  of  King  Wil- 
liam to  give  them  the  best  terms  possible  under  the  circumstance.  If  they 
failed  in  this,  the  leader  of  the  German  people  would  be  justified  in  prose- 
cuting the  war  to  a legitimate  close.  The  German  people  have  great  reason 
to  give  thanks  to  the  God  of  nations,  to  whom  all  the  honor  and  glory  of 
their  success  belongs ; and  he  thought  the  opening  of  this  day  of  thanks- 
giving was  very  properly  made  in  the  songs  of  praise  used  by  the  early 
German  Christians. 

Music. 

Nun  danket  alle  Gott — Rinkhart,  1649.  “Now  thanks  be  given  to  the 
Lord.” 


46 


Mr.  J.  R.  Sypher,  introduced  by  Dr.  Hering,  said : We  have  reached  the 
opening  of  a new  era.  We  read  in  history  that  the  German  people  were 
pioneers  in  the  history  of  civilization,  were  celebrated  for  profound  learn- 
ing, practical  discovery,  and  an  earnest  Christian  spirit  in  the  true  worship 
of  God.  We  learn  from  the  newspapers  of  the  day  that  the  Germans  are  a 
Sabbath-breaking,  beer-drinking,  a carousing,  noisy,  lawless  populace.  To- 
day history  repeats  its  lesson.  This  scum  that  has  long  appeared  on  the 
surface  is  swept  away,  and  the  bright  metal  beneath  appears.  The  historic 
German  again  comes  to  the  surface,  and  the  world  is  reminded  that  this 
noisy  element  that  has  so  loudly  claimed  to  represent  the  German  character 
in  America  has  set  up  false  pretenses.  We  have  had  the  carousing  celebra- 
tions of  German  victories  in  the  beer-saloons;  but  we  here  have  the  sub- 
stantial, Christian-loving  German  people  meeting  to  give  praise  to  God  for 
the  great  things  He  has  done  for  their  nation.  The  pioneer  Germans  who 
came  to  Pennsylvania  in  1683,  came  with  ministers,  school-teachers,  and 
printing  press  They  were  the  first  to  print  the  Bible  in  America,  the  first 
to  establish  Sunday-schools,  the  first  to  issue  Sunday-school  tickets,  the 
first  to  establish  schools  that  were  absolutely  free,  and  the  first  to  protest 
against  holding  human  beings  in  slavery.  They  have  always  loved  learn- 
ing, free  schools,  and  pure,  simple  Christian  worship.  And  this  is  being 
made  manifest  in  the  progress  of  the  German  armies,  and  the  daily  thanks- 
givings that  go  up  from  the  camps  of  the  German  soldiers  west  of  the 
Rhine.  For  this  we  have  reason  to  be  thankful. 

Music. 

Allein  Gott  in  der  Hceli’  sei  Ehr\ — Decius,  1540.  “Glory  be  to  God  on 
high.” 

The  company  was  invited  to  partake  of  coffee  and  sandwiches,  and  after 
that  ceremony  had  ended  the  band  closed  the  morning  exercises  (it  might 
with  propriety  be  called  service)  by  rendering  the  Americanized  tune  “ Old 
Hundred.” 

The  music  for  this  evening’s  exercises  will  be  sung  by  the  Mannerchor, 
and  is  as  follows  ; 


47 


The  Song  of  the  Fatherland,  ....  Arndt  & Reichard,  1813 

As  one  man  we  will  rise, Karl  E.  Hering,  1846 

They  ne’er  shall  have  the  Rhine,  . . . Becker  & Stunz,  1830 

The  Watch  on  the  Rhine,  . . . W.  Mueller  & K.  Wilhelm,  1854 

Why  from  Rummers  Rhenish  Wine,  . . Goettling  & Methfessel,  1829 

When  Noah  left  his  floating  frame,  . . Kopisch  and  Reissiger,  1850 


Dr.  Hering  was  a man  of  strong  resolution. 
Slow  in  forming  his  plans,  he  was  very  determined 
in  executing  them;  and  while  he  would  accept 
placidly  inevitable  digressions  and  interruptions 
he  never  lost  sight  of  the  end  that  he  had  in  view. 
In  support  of  his  methods  he  often  would  refer  to 
the  fact  that  Cato,  who  likewise  lived  for  the  ac- 
complishment of  a great  purpose,  ended  all  of  his 
speeches  with  the  familiar  saying:  “Carthage  must 
be  destroyed.”  Whatever  handiwork  he  attempted 
— and  he  could  use  well  his  hands — was  done  most 
carefully.  His  great  principle  in  all  things  was 
to  work  gradually.  What  sometimes  seemed  to 
be  a digression  in  his  speech  usually  was  found 
to  be  a by-path  that,  leading  through  pleasanter 
grounds,  again  joined  and  strengthened  the  main 
course  of  his  argument.  Short  cuts  he  avoided 
both  in  talking  and  in  acting.  He  abhorred  the 
“too  much  trouble”  creed.  His  indefatigable, 
painstaking  spirit  never  was  daunted  by  too  much 


48 


trouble  in  any  undertaking  that  promised  a gain 
to  science.  And  his  method  of  work,  while  ap- 
parently slow,  really  was  rapid:  because  when  his 
work  was  done  once  it  was  finished.  It  did  not 
have  to  be  laboriously  revised,  for  each  part  was 
proved  before  it  was  set  in  place.  This  habit  of 
precise  labor  was  due  largely  to -his  love  for  math- 
ematics. Euclid  always  was  his  favorite  book; 
and  much  study  of  Euclid,  strengthening  the  na- 
tural disposition  of  his  mind,  taught  him  to  dis- 
trust hypothesis.  It  was  his  constant  habit  to 
seek  out  the  why  and  wherefore  of  things,  and  he 
never  was  content  until  both  the  cause  and  the 
proof  of  the  cause  were  found. 

The  results  of  his  researches,  as  has  been  already 
said,  he  was  ever  ready  to  share  with  all  who 
would  receive  them : for  he  held  all  discoveries  to 
be  not  merely  for  one’s  personal  use,  but  for  the 
good  of  all  mankind.  He  used  the  most  bitter 
invective  against  those  physicians  who  refused  to 
give  the  results  of  their  observations,  when  of 
general  value,  to  the  profession  at  large.  “Where 
should  we  have  been,”  he  was  wont  to  ask,  “had 
Hahnemann  kept  homoeopathy  to  himself?  Where 
should  I have  been? — for  homoeopathy  saved  my 
hand,  and  with  my  hand  my  life!  It  is  a great 


49 


sin  for  a man  to  keep  secret  a medical  discovery 
that  will  benefit  his  fellow  men.”  Dr.  Hering 
had,  indeed,  an  ardent  love  for  the  cause  of  ho- 
moeopathy, as  for  homoeopathy  itself,  such  as  did 
not  exist,  to  a like  degree,  in  any  other  breast. 
If  the  need  had  arisen  he  would  have  sacrificed 
for  its  success  everything  that  he  possessed.  In 
truth,  in  his  early  years,  just  as  he  was  beginning 
to  practice  as  a homoeopathic  physician,  but  while 
he  was  yet  dependent  upon  the  university  for  sup- 
port, he  did  make  precisely  this  sweeping  sacrifice. 
Among  his  autobiographical  reminiscences  is  the 
following:  “My  last  farthing  was  gone.  I went 
to  the  place  where  my  weekly  stipendium  was 
paid  and  asked  for  the  allowance  that  was  due  me. 
I received  the  money,  but  was  told  that  I should 
have  no  more  unless  I gave  up  dabbling  in  homoe- 
opathy. I resented  this  insult  by  throwing  the 
money  which  the  chief  of  the  institution  had  just 
paid  me,  at  his  feet,  at  the  same  time  exclaiming: 
‘What  right  have  you  to  speak  to  me  thus?  I 
shall  never  touch  another  penny  of  this  money!’” 
This  was  a bold  bit  of  ship  burning;  but  boldness 
usually  wins — in  this  case  it  did  certainly.  The 
autobiography  continues:  “From  that  moment  I 

never  suffered  want.  When  I came  home  I found 

4 


50 


a call  to  attend  a patient.  My  practice  began  to 
flourish  and  I soon  had  enough  to  do.  The  man 
at  whose  feet  I had  thrown  the  money  turned 
homoeopath,  and  later  offered  to  pay  back  my 
money,  but  I was  too  proud  to  receive  it.”  Of 
such  stout  stuff  as  this  was  the  Doctor  made,  and 
such  was  his  love  for  the  cause  of  homoeopathy. 
Once,  hearing  a fellow  physician  say  that  he  was 
tired,  he  answered:  “Yes,  I am  tired  too — of  life, 
of  everything.  But  as  long  as  I live  I will  work 
for  homoeopathy  with  all  my  power.”  He  believed 
very  firmly  in  Hahnemann’s  earnestly  expressed 
belief  in  the  principle  of  “oneness.”  He  would 
say:  “There  is  an  individuality  in  everything  that 
the  Lord  has  made.  You  cannot  substitute  one 
medicine  for  another.  To  mix  medicines  is  a 
crime.  Alternating  is  the  half-way  house  to  mix- 
ing. To  make  a poor  prescription  when  much 
driven  is  excusable.  But  the  questions  which 
always  must  be  kept  freshly  in  mind  are:  What 
is  your  aim?  What  are  you  striving  for?  If  a 
homoeopathic  physician  once  adopts  the  too-much- 
trouble  creed  he  is  lost.”  It  certainly  was  not  his 
creed.  His  rules  of  practice,  golden  rules,  he 
called  them,  were:  Learn  to  observe.  Learn  to 
prove.  Learn  to  examine  the  sick.  Learn  to  se- 


51 


lect  a remedy.  Learn  how  to  repeat  and  how  to 
change  remedies.  Learn  how  to  wait.  Learn  how 
to  profit  by  experience. 

As  the  traits  of  character  which  are  presented 
here  sufficiently  show,  Dr.  Hering  was  a philoso- 
pher. He  looked  at  life  from  a high  standpoint, 
and  he  saw  life  broadly.  The  results  of  discovery 
and  of  invention,  the  ideas  of  philosophers,  the 
thoughts  of  poets,  the  works  of  artists,  inspired 
him  with  admiration;  and  these,  he  believed, 
rather  than  the  petty  details  of  the  acts  of  indi- 
viduals and  of  nations,  constituted  the  true  history 
of  the  world.  He  believed  that  history,  in  the 
ordinary  acceptation  of  the  term,  was  governed  by 
laws  as  fixed  as  those  which  govern  the  move- 
ments of  the  planets.  He  did  not,  either  in  great 
matters  or  in  small,  believe  in  chance.  He  was  at 
one  time  a student  of  Kant,  Hegel,  Schopenhauer, 
but  he  was  not  wholly  satisfied  with  the  systems  of 
these  philosophers.  “My  metaphysics,”  he  would 
say,  “are  written  for  shoemakers  and  tailors.  If 
not  intelligible  to  all,  I’ll  have  none  of  it.” 
But  what  he  deemed  to  be  sound  philosophy  he 
placed  above  even  his  favorite  mathematics — re- 
garding it,  possibly,  as  the  mathematic  science  in 
a still  more  sublimated  form.  “The  mathemati- 


52 


cian,”  he  would  say,  “must  learn  to  think  and  to 
ask  the  question  ‘Why?’  at  every  step.  And  this 
is  the  first  principle  of  mathematics.”  His  con- 
cept of  the  order  that  obtained  in  history  was 
peculiar.  He  believed  that  as  there  are  governing 
laws  in  space  so  are  there  also  governing  laws  in 
time.  He  argued:  “In  medicine  we  observe  cer- 
tain symptoms  and  expect  others.  From  what  we 
see  and  from  what  we  infer  we  make  a prognosis. 
It  is  so  in  history.  We  see  events,  and,  by  a pro- 
cess of  reasoning,  not  prophecy,  we  draw  from 
these  events  conclusions.  History  is  regulated  by 
laws.  These  laws  bring  about  events.  They  are 
as  sure  and  as  harmonious  as  the  laws  which  regu- 
late the  motions  of  the  heavenly  bodies.  Events 
move  in  history  with  the  same  certainty  that  the 
planets  move  in  their  ellipses.” 

His  philosophic  temperament,  as  well  as  the 
nature  of  his  mental  processes,  may  be  illustrated 
by  a few  pithy  sentences  found  in  his  writings  or 
treasured  in  memory  from  his  speech: 

Ideas  rule  the  world. 

All  new  ideas  must  be  received  like  new-born 
children  and  cherished  tenderly,  for  on  them  de- 
pends the  future. 


53 


The  thoughts  of  man  develop;  premature  nega- 
tive proof,  therefore,  is  harmful. 

We  must  neither  accept  nor  reject  a thing  with- 
out reason. 

Conclusions  in  science  must  be  drawn  consecu- 
tively, like  links  in  a chain. 

Houses,  wards,  cities,  counties,  states!  Is  not  our 
Union  built  upon  the  Gothic  plan? 

Has  anything  ever  been  done  in  the  world  with- 
out being  carried  to  extremes? 

What  does  not  advance,  recedes;  nothing  re- 
mains fixed. 

The  side  that  hates,  loses. 

If  every  physician  pondered  over  his  work  as 
much  as  does  a shoemaker  over  his,  more  people 
would  get  well. 

When  asked  how  he  could  wait  tranquilly  so 
long  while  some  of  his  theories  were  being  proved 
to  be  true  he  answered,  with  Kepler:  “The  Lord 
had  to  wait  a long  time  before  people  understood 
the  harmony  of  His  creation ! ” 

“I  was  asked  the  other  day  whether  it  was  not 
very  trying  and  discouraging  to  meet  with  un- 
grateful patients.  “Ingratitude!”  said  I,  “why  we 
meet  it  every  day.  Our  Lord  and  Master  met  lit- 


54 


tie  else.  God,  surely,  has  more  cause  to  complain 
of  it  than  I have.” 

In  his  philosophy,  as  is  seen  here,  was  true  re- 
ligion; and  so  it  was  with  all  that  pertained  to 
him,  for  religion  was  a part  of  his  life.  He  was  a 
true  Christian.  The  existence  of  a God  was  with 
him  an  axiom  as  well  sustained  as  any  in  mathe- 
matics. He  believed  in  free  will,  and  he  had  a 
firm  faith  in  a future  existence.  He  argued,  inter- 
rogatively: “What  would  this  great  world  of  the 
Creator  be  if  there  were  no  hereafter?  ” And  his 
faith  was  great.  Once  he  said : “ I have  trusted  in 
Providence  all  my  life;  even  sometimes  in  a way 
that  has  been  called  superstitious  by  my  friends;” 
and  this  simple1hearted  trust  in  a good  God  re- 
mained with  him  till  the  end.  There  was  an  entire 
freedom  from  ostentation  about  his  religion.  It 
was  sincere,  practical;  and  it  was  eminently  cheer- 
ful; he  did  not  surround  the  greatest  joy  of  his 
life  with  gloom.  His  motto  was:  Love  the  Truth 
because  it  is  Truth,  and  the  Good  because  it  is 
Good.  This  was  the  rule  of  life  by  which  he  lived; 
and,  having  lived  by  it  he  was  waiting  and  ready 
when  the  time  came  to  depart. 


LITERARY  LIFE. 


Ji£  IW'jvj 

if  ft*. 

BWVERSIty  OF  UJLIFH'IS 


Dr.  Hering  in  his  Study. 


LITERARY  LIFE. 


LONG  and  busy  life  is  best  understood  through  a 


knowledge  of  the  works  which  have  made  that  life 
useful ; and  there  is  no  better  way  of  becoming  acquainted 
with  an  author  than  by  examining  and  studying  what  he 
has  written. 

A very  considerable  portion  of  Dr.  Hering’s  life,  par- 
ticularly the  early  morning  hours,  beginning  at  three 
o’clock,  were  devoted  to  literary  wrork.  His  books  and 
manuscripts  were  his  companions  by  night,  for  his  sleep- 
ing couch  was  placed  in  his  library.  Before  it  stood 
his  writing  table  covered  with  material  and  necessaries : 
quills  uncut  and  quill-pens  in  all  stages  of  usefulness 
and  uselessness ; blue  ink,  used  in  preference  on  account 
of  its  readiness  in  drying;  red  and  blue  crayons,  conve- 
nient for  proof  marking  and  for  making  marginal  notes 
and  interlineations;  paperweights  and  blotters,  scissors, 
penknives  and  paper-cutters,  all  in  apparent  confusion, 
but  within  easy  reach.  The  light  burning  over  this 
table  had  an  attachment  by  which  he  could  regulate  it 
without  taking  the  trouble  to  rise. 

When  the  sleeper  awoke  all  his  materials  were  ready, 
and  by  curtailing  sleep,  which  his  excellent  constitution 


(57) 


58 


seemed  to  allow  him  to  do  with  impunity,  many  a small 
hour  of  the  morning,  when  all  was  quiet  in  the  house 
and  on  the  street,  was  devoted  to  his  literary  work.  This 
work  was  generally  protracted  until  patients  required  his 
presence  in  the  office.  It  was  only  on  rare  occasions 
such  as  Christmas  and  New  Year’s  day,  the  latter  his 
birthday,  that  he  consented  to  interrupt  his  matutinal 
labor  to  join  his  family  at  the  breakfast  table.  A cup  of 
coffee  or  chocolate,  generally  prepared  by  Mrs.  Hering,  or 
himself,  on  a small  gas  stove,  with  a rusk  or  two,  was  all 
the  breakfast  that  he  took.  The  arrival  of  the  morning 
paper,  which  he  always  read  with  interest,  furnished  a 
pleasant  change  of  occupation  and  brought  him  in  sym- 
pathy with  the  outside  world.  Nothing  in  it  was  too 
trivial  to  enlist  his  attention,  excepting,  perhaps,  the 
fashions;  and  these  not  infrequently  gave  him  an  excuse 
for  railing  at  the  frailties  of  human  nature,  which  he  en- 
joyed doing,  and  did  with  all  the  force  and  freedom  of 
which  he  was  capable.  But  his  chief  morning  pleasure, 
one  to  which  he  looked  forward  as  to  the  rising  of  the 
sun,  and  one  that  came  with  almost  as  perfect  regularity, 
was  a daily  visit  from  his  friend  Dr.  Raue,  whom  he 
loved  as  a brother,  and  who  came  faithfully  and  unfail- 
ingly, through  all  weather,  between  the  hours  of  nine  and 
ten,  for  a chat  with  his  revered  old  friend  and  teacher. 

Where  but  a brief  synopsis  of  an  author’s  writings  is 
all  that  space  will  allow,  perhaps  the  best  plan  to  pursue 
is  that  which  gives  the  titles  of  his  essays  and  books,  ar- 


59 


ranged  in  chronological  order,  together  with  brief  com- 
ments upon  and  extracts  therefrom  sufficiently  charac- 
teristic to  convey  an  idea  of  the  man’s  views,  aim  and 
style.  This  I have  striven  to  do  in  the  following  con- 
densed review  of  Dr.  Hering’s  writings.  Most  of  the 
matter  here  reproduced  had  to  be  translated  from  the 
German,  the  language  in  which  his  pen  was  most  fluent, 
and  this  I have  done  less  with  the  intention  of  rendering 
the  original  into  literal  English  than  of  catching  the 
essence  and  spirit  of  the  writer’s  style  and  so  reproducing 
a likeness,  if  possible  but  one  remove  from  the  original. 

The  products  of  Dr.  Hering’s  pen,  principally  in  the 
form  of  essays,  are  diffused  among  numerous  medical 
journals  covering  a period  of  over  fifty  years.  The  titles 
of  these  essays  and  the  places  where  they  may  be  found 
I have  quoted,  so  that  all  who  wish  to  peruse  what  he 
has  written,  may  do  so  without  much  trouble  by  con- 
sulting the  volumes  in  the  Homoeopathic  Library.  His 
later  literary  efforts  were  concentrated  upon  his  larger 
medical  works.  A short  review  of  these  is  all  that  space 
will  allow.  They  are  complete  in  themselves  so  far  as 
they  have  appeared  in  print,  and  are  available  to  prac- 
titioners; but  they  are  links  which,  connected,  form  the 
chain  of  scientific  research  in  which  is  summed  up  the 
experience  of  his  life.  In  his  earlier  years,  when  cares 
were  not  so  thick,  nor  duties  so  pressing,  he  wrote  verse 
and  light  prose,  fairy  tales,  satires  and  novelettes.  A. 
satirical  vein  runs  through  all  of  his  writings,  playful 


60 


in  the  lighter  products  of  his  pen,  but  extremely  biting 
and  severe  when  in  polemics  he  is  called  upon  to  defend 
the  cause. 

Although  Medicine  and  the  Natural  Sciences  were  his 
chief  love,  poetry  and  music  claimed  their  share  of  atten- 
tion. Like  most  German  students,  he  was  passionately 
fond  of  music  and  the  stage.  Some  of  his  leisure  mo- 
ments were  even  devoted  to  the  composition  of  opera 
texts.  Of  these  the  principal  ones  were  “The  Water 
Sprite,”  in  which  the  scenes  are  laid  at  the  bottom  of  the 
sea,  and  “Der  Arme  Heinrich,”  a poetical  subject  which 
greatly  pleased  Spohr,  who  seriously  thought  of  setting 
the  words  to  music.  Some  of  his  short  stories,  “Die 
Wiedergefundene,”  and  “Rosamunde,”  a novelette,  were 
published  in  a series  of  stories,  written  by  his  elder 
brother  Ewald  and  published  in  1826-28  by  Kollman  in 
Leipzig  under  the  title  of  “ Sandsteine.”  These  met  with 
a ready  sale,  the  proceeds  of  which  helped  the  brothers 
to  defray  the  expenses  of  their  university  course.  As  we 
read  in  the  biographical  portion  of  this  memoir,  in  his 
early  school  days  he  wrote  a composition  showing  that 
Peter  the  Czar  was  a tyrant,  and  so  drew  upon  himself 
the  stern  criticism  of  his  teacher  Rudolph.  It  showed 
that  “the  boy  was  the  man  in  miniature,”  who  continued 
through  life  to  attack  fearlessly  error  and  falsity,  little 
caring  from  what  source  they  came. 

When  a little  more  than  twenty-one  years  old,  came 
his  engagement  to  write  a book  against  Hahnemann, 


61 


which  was  to  be  published  by  Baumgaertner  in  Leipzig. 
The  book  was  nearly  done  when  his  conversion  to  ho- 
moeopathy took  place.  He  speaks  of  this  event  himself 
in  these  words: 

My  services  were  employed  to  write  a book  against  homoeopathy.  I 
first  attempted  to  give  a definition  of  what  is  similar.  Next  I examined 
the  Materia  Medica.  Beginning  with  the  chapter  on  Sensorium  I found 
Schwindel  under  every  remedy.  I began  to  think  it  was  all  Schwindel ! I 
continued  my  investigations.  It  seemed  as  if  some  mystic  agency  was 
luring  me  on  to  conviction,  for  there  was  rhyme  and  reason  in  everything. 


The  episode  of  the  wounded  hand  occurred  and  put  an 
end  to  this  undertaking.  He  often  said:  “I  am  glad  that 
my  book  never  was  printed.” 

As  the  result  of  his  conversion  he  wrote  an  essay  en- 
titled “The  Future  of  the  Healing  Art,”  which  he  sent 
for  publication  to  the  editor  of  the  first  homoeopathic 
journal,  The  Archives . After  the  almost  miraculous  res- 
toration of  his  hand  by  the  infinitesimal  doses  of  Arseni- 
cum, administered  by  his  Hahnemannian  friend,  he  says : 
“ The  last  veil  that  blinded  my  eyes  to  the  light  of  the 
rising  sun  was  rent  and  I saw  the  light  of  the  new  heal- 
ing art  dawn  upon  me  in  all  its  fulness.”  Then  followed 
the  medical  examination  and  his  thesis,  “De  Medicina 
Futura.”  His  characteristic  boldness  showed  itself  again 
in  this,  for  he  stood  up,  a poor  student,  before  an  august 
body  of  learned  medical  men,  the  faculty  of  the  time- 
honored  University  of  Wurzburg,  and  defended  the  tenets 
of  homoeopathy  as  taught  by  the  fanatic  Samuel  Hahne- 


mann. 


62 


From  the  time  of  his  graduation  in  1826,  onward,  but 
few  years  passed  unmarked  by  contributions  from  his 
pen,  as  the  following  chronologically  arranged  statement 
shows.  Almost  with  the  beginning  of  homoeopathic  lit- 
erature began  his  contributions  to  it;  and  these  were  ex- 
tended continuously  over  a period  of  more  than  fifty 
years. 

1828.— Extracts  from  letters  from  Suriname  to  Dr.  E.  Stapf. 

— Archives  of  Homoeopathic  Medicine , vol.  vii. 

1830.  — 1.  Communications  by  letter  from  Parimaribo  on  the 
treatment  of  Leprosy  with  Homoeopathic  remedies.  2.  Report 
of  a case  of  fungus  hsematodes. — Stapf1 s Archives,  vol.  ix. 

1831.  — 1.  Some  remarks  on  the  dispute  between  therapeuti- 
cians  and  pathologists.  2.  First  remarks  on  snake  poison.  3. 
Fragmentary  observations  on  Hufeland’s  latest  remarks  on 
homoeopathy  and  its  founder.  4.  The  antipsoric  remedies  in 
their  relation  to  leprosy.  5.  A proving  of  Caladium  seguinum. 
6.  Fragmentary  remarks  on  the  study  of  remedies  and  on  diag- 
nostics. 7.  A proposed  plan  for  a more  complete  repertory. — 
Stapf’s  Archives,  vol.  x. 

1832.  — 1.  What  is  necessary  to  the  calling  of  a successful 
homoeopathic  practitioner.  2.  A fragmentary  proving  of  Se- 
lenium.— Stapf’s  Archives,  vol.  xii. 

1833.  — A Concise  view  of  the  Rise  and  Progress  of  Homoeo- 
pathic Medicine.  An  Historical  Treatise  on  Homoeopathy  de- 


63 


livered  at  the  meeting  of  the  Hahnemann  Society  in  Philadel- 
phia, April  18th,  1833. 

This  essay  was  written  in  German  and  translated  into 
English  by  his  friend  Dr.  Charles  F.  Matlack.  For  the 
motto  on  the  title  page,  Dr.  Hering  selected  the  words  of 
George  Washington,  “Is  there  a doubt ? Let  experience 
solve  it.  To  listen  to  mere  speculation  in  such  a case  were 
criminal.  Experience  is  the  surest  standard  by  which  to  test 
real  tendency .”  The  spirit  of  the  essay  may  be  recognized 
in  the  following  parapraphs  from  it : 

In  England  and  the  United  States  little  is  heard  of  the  new  art.  They 
have  scarcely  begun  to  hear  of  the  medical  reformation  even  now  rising  up 
before  them.  Some  reviewers,  only  within  a few  years  past,  have  noticed 
the  writings  for  and  against  homoeopathy.  These  countries  have  conducted 
themselves  with  the  utmost  quietude  and  discretion.  In  both,  the  physi- 
cians of  which,  for  the  most  part,  being  governed  more  by  experience  than 
by  theories,  it  has  been  admitted  that  if  the  system  were  true,  it  would 
lead  to  highly  important  consequences.  Yes,  certainly  experience  would 
long  since  have  been  appealed  to,  if  alas ! the  almost  general  unacquaint- 
ance with  the  German  language  among  the  better  classes  (one  of  the 
most  important  languages  for  the  arts  and  sciences),  had  not  hindered  that 
result.  Soon  indeed,  will  this  defect  be  supplied  by  translations,  but  may 
we  not  hope  that  the  period  is  not  far  distant  when,  in  the  United  States  at 
least,  the  worth  of  German  science  and  of  the  language  of  Germany  will 
be  generally  acknowledged  ? May  the  day  soon  appear  in  which  the  rich 
and  fortunate  inheritance  of  two  thousand  years  of  European  culture, 
uniting  the  practical  views  of  the  English  with  the  ardent  zeal  of  the 
French,  shall  embrace  also  the  depth  and  solidity  of  the  German  ; so  that 
whatever  Europe  may  produce  hereafter  of  greatness  in  science  may,  with- 
out difficulty,  be  here  appreciated  in  this  central  point  of  the  future  history 
of  man. 


64 


May  our  beneficent  Society  largely  contribute  to  the  wider  prevalence 
and  reception  of  the  Hahnemannian  doctrines ; may  that  which  single 
individuals  can  of  themselves  scarcely  achieve,  be  effected  by  united 
efforts.  Then  in  this  blessed  country  may  the  miseries  of  disease  be  dimin- 
ished, future  generations  be  rescued  from  its  leaden  fetters,  the  bitterest 
human  misery,  disease  bearing  down  all  earthly  joy,  become  less  from  year 
to  year,  and  the  sweetest  boon  on  earth,  health  and  domestic  felicity, 
become  the  portion  of  growing  thousands  here  as  well  as  in  Germany.  In 
spite  of  all  adversaries,  in  spite  of  all  impediments,  it  will,  nevertheless, 
succeed  here  sooner  than  in  Europe ; for,  among  a free  people,  who,  with 
practised  eyes,  soon  discern  the  truly  useful,  a treasure  like  this  new  art, 
must  quickly  be  estimated  in  a degree  commensurate  with  its  real  value ; 
sooner  here  than  by  the  kings  and  princes  of  Europe,  who  have  other  and 
more  important  cares ; sooner  here  than  in  those  countries  where  ancient 
institutions  and  proscriptive  interests  are  supported  by  a vigilant  police, 
who  impede  the  progress  of  the  new  art  by  processes,  penalties  and  bayo- 
nets. Here  we  are  beyond  such  influence.  The  American  people  demand 
facts,  and  upon  these  we  can  confidently  and  securely  rest  for  our  support. 
The  language  of  opposition  may  be  employed,  but  truth  is  no  longer  ob- 
scured here  by  forms  of  speech.  The  victory  will  be  ours ; and  in  a century 
to  come,  the  anniversary  of  our  society — this  first  step  upon  the  way  which 
must  lead  to  the  public  and  general  acknowledgment  of  the  new  doctrines 
— will  be  solemnized  with  grateful  remembrance.  So  great  an  aim,  indeed, 
cannot  be  attained  without  labor,  but  we  are  prepared  to  undertake  it ; we 
shall  not  arrive  at.  it  without  conflict,  but  we  stand  equipped  for  conflict ; 
we  shall  not  reach  it  without  defamation ; but  we  will  suffer  ridicule  and 
defamation  with  composure. 

1.  Fragmentary  reports  of  symptoms.  2.  A survey  of 
the  entire  kingdom  of  drugs.  3.  Preparatory  attempt  to 
serve  as  a guide  in  making  future  investigations  (57  pages). 
4.  Hypothesis  and  Experiment.  5.  Miasm  and  Contagion.  6. 
Pathogenesis  and  Patho-exodus,  and  various  items  of  news. 


65 


7.  Remarks  on  Psorinum.  8.  On  the  repetition  of  the  dose.— 

Stapf’s  Archives , vol.  xiii. 

1834.  — 1.  What  do  yon  mean  by  “Similar?”  2.  Frag- 
mentary remarks  on  the  action  of  several  drugs  on  the  well 
and  sick.  3.  Theridion  currassavicum  and  Lachesis.  4.  A 
philological  note  to  the  word  “ psorinum” — Stapf’s  Archives , 
vol.  xiv. 

The  question  “ What  do  you  mean  by  f Similar  ’ ?” 
treated  at  length  in  the  above-named  essay,  he  had  asked 
as  early  as  the  year  1822.  He  differed  from  the  theories 
put  forth  by  Hahnemann  in  this  as  well  as  in  most  other 
respects ; and  he  declared  his  opinions  candidly  during 
the  lifetime  of  the  Master.  He  was  the  first  to  attack 
Hahnemann’s  doctrine  of  primary  and  secondary  effects. 
He  was  the  first  who  openly  defended  pathology  against 
Hahnemann’s  views;  and  so  successfully  that  Hahne- 
mann sanctioned  the  teaching  of  pathology  in  the  Allen- 
town Institute.  He  was  the  first  to  propose  triturations 
and  dilutions  in  the  decimal  scale  instead  of  in  the  cen- 
tesimal scale  used  by  Hahnemann.  Yet,  while  he  had 
little  to  say  in  favor  of  Hahnemann’s  theories,  he  strenu- 
ously defended  Hahnemann’s  inductive  method  of  reason- 
ing and  the  practical  rules  that  resulted  therefrom. 

1835.  — Snake  Poison  as  a Therapeutic  Agent. — Stapf’s  Ar- 
chives, vol.  xv. 

In  1831,  in  the  same  journal,  as  has  been  noted,  he  had 
5 


66 


mentioned  snake  poison,  and  had  predicted  that  experi- 
ment would  raise  it  to  the  position  of  a valuable  medical 
agent.  This  belief  was  founded  upon  the  facts  that  its 
inoculation  produced  an  effect  similar  to  that  of  the 
most  active  vegetable  poisons,  and  that  its  action,  when 
taken  internally,  resembled  that  of  the  slow  but  deep 
acting  metalloids.  He  now,  after  repeated  provings  and 
successful  applications  in  practice  during  a period  of  five 
years,  declared  it  to  be  a polychrest,  a remedy  at  least 
equal  in  importance  to  any  hitherto  in  use. 

1835. — Domestic  Physician.  1 vol.  First  German 
edition. — Jena. 

This  work,  begun  in  a small  way  by  Dr.  Hering,  and 
given  to  his  friends  and  patients  as  a guide  and  keepsake 
on  leaving  Suriname,  has  passed  through  fourteen  edi- 
tions in  Germany,  seven  in  America  and  two  in  England. 
It  has  been  translated  into  French,  Spanish,  Italian,  Hun- 
garian, Danish,  Swedish  and  Russian.  From  its  small 
beginning,  a 32mo.  volume  of  290  pages  containing  in- 
structions for  the  use  of  forty-five  remedies,  the  work  has 
grown  until  now,  in  its  latest  revised  American  edition 
(1883),  edited  by  Dr.  Claude  R.  Norton,  with  the  assist- 
ance of  Dr.  Hering’s  daughters,  Mrs.  J.  Foster  Pope  and 
Mrs.  C.  B.  Knerr,  and  published  by  F.  E.  Boericke,  of  the 
Hahnemann  Publishing  House,  Philadelphia,  it  has  come 
to  be  an  octavo  volume  of  450  pages,  containing  a list  of 
sixty-six  remedies,  together  with  the  symptoms  of  dis- 


67 


eased  conditions  to  which  they  are  applicable.  The  pur- 
pose of  this  work  was  to  popularize  homoeopathy,  as  is 
declared  by  the  motto  upon  the  title-page  of  the  new 
edition : “ The  greatest  triumph  of  a science  is  when  it  be- 
comes the  common  property  of  the  people  and  thus  contributes 
to  the  common  weal.”  The  purpose  has  been  successfully 
accomplished.  Probably  there  is  not  a village  in  the 
civilized  world,  the  inhabitants  of  which  have  not  seen 
or  heard  of  this  homoeopathic  help  at  home,  and  many 
of  them  have  felt  its  blessings. 

1836.  — 1.  A Preface  to  the  first  American  edition  of  Hahne- 

mann’s Organon.  Allentown.  2.  Homoeopathic  Tracts  for  the 
People:  1 The  Life  of  S.  Hahnemann.  2 Seven  Characteris- 

tics of  Hahnemann’s  Method  of  Cure.  Skepticism.  4 Trial 
of  Dr.  Pelleteer  in  the  County  of  Pukedom. 

1837.  — Hints  by  which  to  form  a correct  estimate  of  Hahne- 
mann’s Organon. — Stapf’s  Archives , vol.  xvi. 

Here  again  is  found  the  free  and  independent  spirit  of 
the  author  who  dared  to  differ  with  the  master  whom  he 
revered  and  honored,  and  to  whose  practical  rules  he 
paid  the  highest  homage,  but  of  whose  theories  he  did 
not  accept  a single  one  as  given  in  the  Organon.  And 
this  frank  admission  of  difference  of  opinion  on  the  part 
of  a younger  enthusiast  in  the  cause,  called  forth  enco- 
miums from  the  master  whose  progressive  mind  led  him 
to  hold  light  theories,  even  his  own,  which  were  not 


68 


borne  out  by  experience.  “ Let  Hering  alone,”  he  said, 
“he  knows  what  he  is  about.  All  theories  and  hypothe- 
ses have  no  positive  value,  but  this:  that  they  lead  to 
new  experiments  and  a clearer  contemplation  of  the  re- 
sults of  previous  ones.” 

3.  The  Effects  of  Snakepoison,  comparatively  arranged  for 
therapeutic  use,  with  an  introduction  on  the  study  of  the 
Homoeopathic  Materia  Medica.  1 vol.,  8vo.,  115  pp.  (German), 
Allentown. 

This  book,  although  called  by  the  author  “ an  initial 
step,”  marks  an  epoch  in  homoeopathic  literature,  since 
it  is  the  first  attempt  at  classifying  the  pathogenetic  and 
therapeutic  effects  of  the  virus  of  an  important  family 
in  natural  history,  the  ophideans,  comprising  Lachesis 
trigonoceplialus,  the  South  American  Surukuku;  Crotalus 
horridus,  the  North  American  rattlesnake;  Vipera  torva, 
the  German  viper;  Vipera  Redi,  the  Italian  viper;  and 
Naja  tripudians,  the  East  India  cobra;  according  to  a 
scientific  plan.  The  symptoms  of  the  poison  (most  exten- 
sively proven  by  Dr.  Hering  upon  himself),  the  effects  of 
the  bite  of  the  snake,  and  the  results  of  clinical  experi- 
ence with  their  conditions  or  modalities,  are  3,800  in 
number.  In  each  instance  the  authority  for  the  symptom 
or  its  origin  is  quoted,  and  in  most  instances  counter- 
reference is  made  to  symptoms  bearing  a similarity  or 
relation  to  the  one  under  consideration.  The  wTork  is  a 
marvel  of  painstaking  industry,  an  example  of  the  same 


69 


love  for  work  and  exactness  which  characterized  all  his 
subsequent  labors  in  Materia  Medica.  A reprint  from 
Stapf’s  Archives , of  cases  cured  by  Lachesis,  appeared  in 
volume  II  (1844)  of  the  British  Journal  of  Homoeopathy , 
and  in  the  same  volume  was  published  a translation  of 
the  article  “On  the  study  of  the  Homoeopathic  Materia 
Medica.” 

1838. — 1.  The  Study  of  Homoeopathic  Materia  Medica. — 

Stapf’s  Archives , vol.  xvii. 

2.  Jahr’s  Manual,  translated  from  the  German  by  authority 
of  the  North  American  Academy  of  the  Homoeopathic  Healing 
Art,  with  an  introduction  by  Dr.  Constantine  Hering.  1 vol., 
Allentown. 

To  this  translation  is  appended  a criticism  on  the  or- 
iginal work.  The  translating  and  editing,  as  well  as  the 
printing  of  the  book,  was  a gratuitous  labor  and  the 
profits  realized  from  the  sale  of  it  were  appropriated  to 
the  support  of  a charitable  medical  institution. 

1844. — An  Answer  to  F.  Freiligrath’s  Epistle  to  Audubon. 
A Poem.  (German)  Philadelphia. 

Freiligrath’s  poem  deploring  the  loss  of  the  red  man’s 
liberty,  warns  him  against  the  white  invader  and  coun- 
sels him  to  resist  both  missionary  and  yeoman  in  order 
that  his  freedom  may  be  preserved.  In  the  answer  allu- 
sion is  made  to  the  hatred  existing  between  the  various 


70 


tribes  of  red  men;  to  their  unfitness  to  govern  themselves 
or  others,  or  to  make  use  of  the  resources  that  lie  buried 
in  their  domain;  to  the  awe  the  Indian  feels  in  the  pres- 
ence of  any  of  the  triumphs  of  civilization,  in  all  of  which 
he  sees  or  divines  the  working  or  influence  of  the  Great 
Spirit — the  might  of  the  ploughshare,  the  axe  in  the 
forest  and  the  smoke  of  the  forge.  The  conclusion  ar- 
rived at  is,  that  while  the  songs  of  the  poet  himself  will 
live  immortal,  the  savage  will  disappear  before  the  march 
of  civilization. 

1845. — 1.  Bromine,  Chlorine,  Fluoric  Acid  and  Sanguinaria. 
2.  What  is  Similar?  3.  Newer  Provings. — Stapf’s  Archives, 
vol.  xx.  4.  Remarks  on  Jenichen’s  High  Potencies.  5.  Preface 
to  the  English  translation  of  “ Chronic  Diseases,”  (published  in 
New  York  in  the  same  year.)  6.  Reminiscences  of  Scarlet  Fever 
epidemics.  7.  On  the  relationship  of  plants.  8.  Incidental  to 
citation- visitation.  ,9.  A proposed  plan  for  exchange  of  homoe- 
opathic preparations.  10.  Pathological  Anatomy  viewed  from 
its  useless  side. — Allg.  Horn.  Zeitung,  vol.  xxix. 

11.  Homoeopathic  Hackels,  old  and  new,  for  friend  and  foe. 
1 vol.  8 vo.  Pp.  70. — ( German ) Jena. 

This  is  a collection  of  Essays,  in  German,  written  at 
various  times  between  1832  and  1846,  on  subjects  per- 
taining to  homoeopathy.  As  the  title  indicates,  the 
author  here  hackles  and  tears  to  pieces  the  arguments  of 
foolish  critics  and  objectors,  like  flax  upon  hatchels.  The 
humor  in  these  pages  is,  however,  more  playful  and  not 


71 


so  biting  as  in  the  “New  Hatchels,”  which  appeared  fif- 
teen years  later.  The  subjects  discussed  in  Old  Hatchels 
are, — The  Loftiness  of  Critique  (1 846) ; W iseacreism  (1 845) ; 
Primogenitureship,  or,  The  Mess  of  Pottage  (1845) ; “ What 
is  to  become  of  observation,  when  such  presumptions  are 
made?  The  Art  of  Settling  the  Question  without  Proof, 
a funeral  discourse  read  before  the  Society  of  Ignoram- 
uses in  Lieberwolkandwitz ; and  Squirting  Cucumbers. 

1846.  — 1.  Marginal  Notes  to  the  Materia  Medica.  2.  Fluoric 
acid  cases.  3.  What  is  Similar?  Part  Second. — Stapf’s  Ar- 
chives, vol.  iii.  New  Series.  4.  A survey  of  our  provings, 
arranged  according  to  provers.  An  historical  summary. — Allg. 
Horn.  Zeitung,  vol.  xxxi.  5.  A parody  on  Schiller’s  Song  of 
the  Bell.  Pp.  45. — ( German ) Jena . 

The  parody  of  the  “ Song  of  the  Bell  ” conveys  some 
valuable  hints  to  church  and  state,  at  the  same  time, 
it  admirably  preserves  the  rhythm  and  swing  of  the  cele- 
brated original.  The  parody  was  published  under  the 
pseudonym  of  “ Schoolmaster  of  Hippelau.” 

In  the  British  Journal  of  Homoeopathy  for  this  year 
(vol.  4),  is  published  the  anecdote,  often  related  by  Dr. 
Hering,  of  the  patient  who  was  in  search  of  three  physi- 
cians who  would  agree  on  his  case. 

1847.  — 1.  The  requisites  to  a correct  estimate  of  Hahnemann. 
— Hygea,  vol.  xxii.  2.  A letter  to  the  editors  “On  High  Di- 
lutions.”— Brit.  Jour,  of  Horn.,  vol.  5. 


72 


1849. — 1.  A note  on  Calcarea  arsenicosa  in  epilepsy. — Brit. 
Jour,  of  Horn.,  vol.  vii.  2.  Glonoine. — Quart.  Horn.  Jour.y 
vol.  i.  3.  Preface  to  the  third  American  edition  of  Hahnemann’s 
Organon. 

1851.  — 1.  Introduction  to  the  American  translation  of  Jahr’s 
Symptomatology. — Allg.  Horn.  Zeitung,  vol.  xl.  2.  Remarks 
on  proving  Arsenicum  metallicum.  3.  Daily  cycles  in  Diseases 
and  the  Effects  of  Drugs.  4.  Fragmentary  contributions  to 
Materia  Medica  and  Therapeutics.  5.  Proving  of  Gymnocladus 
Canadensis,  the  Chicot  or  Coffee  tree.  6.  Requisites  to  a correct 
estimation  of  Hahnemann,  (translated  from  Hygea.)  7.  Jatropha 
Curcas.  8.  Myrtus  Communis. — North  Am.  Jour,  of  Hom.y 
vol.  i. 

1852.  — 1.  Psorinum  and  its  chemical  rescue  (reprinted  in 
North  Am.  Jour.  Horn.,  vol.  ii).  2.  Annual  recurrences. — Allg. 
Horn.  Zeitung , vol.  xliii.  3.  American  drug  provings  and 
preparatory  work  for  constituting  Materia  Medica  a Natural 
Science. — Zeit.fiir.  Horn.  KliniJc,  vol.  i. 

1853.  — 1.  A reply  to  the  “open  letter”  in  vol.  xliv.  2.  A 
protest  against  falsifying  history. — Allg.  Horn.  Zeitung,  vol. 
xlvi.  3.  On  the  periodical  annual  recurrence  of  certain  phe- 
nomena (a  translation  of  “Jsehrlich  zur  selben  Zeit  in  Allg. 
Horn.  Zeitung,  vol.  xliii).  4.  Pathology  and  the  Materia 
Medica.  5.  On  Materia  Medica  as  a Natural  Science.  6.  Char- 
acteristic effects  of  Allium  cepa,  the  common  onion,  with  a 
history  of  the  remedy. — North  Am.  Jour,  of  Horn.,  vol.  iii. 


73 


7.  Suggestions  for  the  proving  of  drugs  on  the  healthy. 
(Adopted  by  the  American  Prover’s  Union  and  published  in 
pamphlet  form).  Pp.  29. 

1854  . — The  Voluntary  System  of  Medical  Education.  A 
pamphlet.  20  pages.  Philadelphia. 

This  pamphlet  was  an  attempt  to  elevate  the  standard 
of  medical  education.  In  it  he  says: 

The  rivalry  of  the  schools  in  the  business  of  doctor-making  illustrates 
the  old  proverb,  that  “competition  is  the  life  of  trade,”  but,  let  it  be  ob- 
served, it  reduces  medicine  from  the  rank  of  a liberal  science  to  that  of  a 
trade,  by  which  the  public  is  injured,  the  profession  degraded,  and  only 
the  traders  are  profited.  It  is  not  intended  to  say  that  every  faculty  of 
professors  are  so  destitute  of  honor,  conscience  and  professional  pride  as 
wantonly  to  sacrifice  principle  to  interest,  but  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that 
too  many  faculties  are  seduced  from  their  integrity,  and  that  these  have 
the  power  to  lower  the  standard  and  compel  submission  in  a greater  or  less 
degree  from  the  worthier  or  more  honorable  institutions.  * * * The 
public  ought  to  have  a more  disinterested  and  reliable  judgment  in  the 
premises.  * * * At  least  three-fourths  of  the  medical  schools  in  the 
country  are  but  copies  of  each  other  to  all  practical  and  important  pur- 
poses. They  teach  nearly  the  same  doctrines  in  nearly  the  same  way ; on 
nearly  the  same  conditions  of  time  and  expense,  and  their  diplomas  are 
as  nearly  of  the  same  value.  Some  of  the  professors  have  a higher  repu- 
tation both  at  home  and  abroad  than  others  and  deserve  it  too,  but  the 
system  under  which  they  all  work  gives  their  pupils  little  or  no  advantage 
that  should  result  from  this  difference  of  ability.  Limited  and  crippled  as 
these  institutions  are  by  the  policy  which  rules  them,  the  emulation,  so 
natural  and  beneficent,  which  otherwise  might  inspirit  them  to  noblest 
effort  degenerates  into  a mere  rivalry  for  reputation  and  material  prosperity. 
They  should  be  put  under  happier  influences.  A school  must  be  deemed 


74 


peculiarly  foitunate,  that  has  four  or  five  out  of  seven  of  its  faculty  in  every 
way  qualified  for  teaching  acceptably  and  advantageously.  There  are  not 
a few  instances  where  one  or  more  chairs  are  held  by  men  tolerably  well, 
or  even  very  well  skilled  in  the  branches  which  they  are  appointed  to 
teach,  but  very  badly  qualified  to  impart  instruction.  Indeed  there  are 
not  many  instances  in  which  more  than  three  or  four  are  such  as  the 
classes  would  choose,  if  they  had  the  liberty  of  making  their  own  selections, 
while  in  an  edifice  not  more  than  half  a dozen  squares  distant,  they  could 
find  the  very  teachers  whom  they  would  gladly  prefer  to  those  compar- 
atively incapable  men  who  are  fastened  upon  them. 

But  even  more  than  this:  these  faculties  are  monopolies,  exclusive  as 
well  as  inclusive.  They  at  once  contain  and  retain  mischiefs  which  are 
now  nearly  incapable  of  reformation,  and  they  shut  out  and  keep  out  bene- 
fits, which  would  be  worth  more  to  the  cause  of  medical  education  than  all 
that  they  in  fact  secure.  They  shut  out  from  the  office  of  teacher  all  those 
able  men  of  the  profession  who  have  not  the  influence  of  cliques  and  the 
aid  of  extraneous  advantages  to  procure  their  election  to  professorships  in 
well  established  colleges,  or  cannot  find  vacancies  waiting  to  be  filled,  or 
such  vacancies  as  they  are  best  fitted  by  talents,  taste  and  special  study  to 
fill  to  the  best  advantage.  The  courses  of  lectures  given  under  the  present 
system  are  entirely  too  short.  During  the  session  of  four  or  five  months 
six  or  seven  branches  are  taught,  or  are  attempted  to  be  taught,  by  as 
many  professors,  lecturing,  say,  seventy  hours  each.  The  lecturers  them- 
selves invariably  complain  of  the  shortness  of  the  time  allowed.  They 
hurry,  skip  and  finally  make  a dead  halt  before  they  have  nearly  traversed 
the  ground  which  they  intended  to  occupy,  and  every  succeeding  winter 
make  the  same  haste  and  the  same  omissions  upon  the  same  grounds  of 
excuse.  This  complaint  lies  very  justly  against  the  system.  It  is  every 
day  made  by  its  own  supporters,  but  it  is  one  for  which  the  system  itself 
admits  no  remedy.  Out  of  the  customary  limitation  to  a duplicated  session 
of  four  or  five  months  (the  two  sessions  which  make  up  the  term  of  public 
instruction  are,  in  fact,  but  copies  and  repetitions  of  each  other),  there 
grows  an  unavoidable  confusion  of  study,  a mixture  without  order,  relation, 
or  natural  sequence  and  dependency.  This  must  be  remedied.  A change 


75 


is  demanded,  not  merely,  however,  to  afford  room  for  the  subject  matters 
of  the  customary  programme  of  instruction,  but  to  give  room  and  verge 
enough  besides  for  all  those  auxiliary  natural  sciences,  and  related  depart- 
ments of  remedial  practice  which  are  now  entirely  shut  out.  Many  of 
them  are  as  essential  to  an  adequate  medical  education  as  any  of  those 
which  it  embraces,  and  all  are  of  such  value  that  any  scheme  of  study 
which  excludes  them  must  sooner  or  later  be  discarded.  A Doctor  of 
Medicine  should  be  a man  fully  informed  of  all  that  experiment  and  obser- 
vation have  revealed  to  discoverers  in  every  range  of  inquiry  which  prom- 
ises the  acquisition  of  a new  truth,  or  the  correction  of  an  old  error.  It  is 
a fatal  objection  against  the  systems  of  medical  education  in  vogue,  that 
they  not  only  make  no  provision  for  such  liberality  and  comprehensive- 
ness of  inquiry,  but  absolutely  prevent  it. 

“To  abate  these  evils  and  to  provide  the  required  con- 
ditions for  freedom  and  progress  in  medical  science,”  Dr. 
Hering,  assisted  by  a number  of  influential  citizens  of 
Philadelphia  and  vicinity,  among  them  Henry  C.  Carey, 
the  political  economist,  procured  an  act  of  incorporation 
from  the  legislature  of  Pennsylvania,  dated  May  8th, 
1854,  for  the  establishment  in  Philadelphia  of  such  an 
independent  medical  school.  Its  name  was  to  be  the 
The  Independent  Medical  School  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
its  constitution,  its  powers  and  policy  were  to  be  based 
upon  the  Voluntary  System.  Its  grand  aim  was  liberty 
of  teaching  and  liberty  of  hearing.  The  free  interming- 
ling of  students  of  the  several  systems  the  founder  hoped 
would  speedily  remove  the  bigotries  which  now  discredit 
the  profession,  retard  its  progress  and  impair  its  useful- 
ness. With  these  aims  the  proposed  institution  was  sub- 
mitted to  the  judgment  of  the  public.  But,  as  happened 


76 


more  than  once  in  the  life  of  the  originator  of  the  proposi- 
tion, his  plans  were  ahead  of  the  times,  and  although  he 
no  doubt  had  with  him  the  agreement  of  the  mass  of 
college  graduates  throughout  the  country  the  enterprise 
failed  for  want  of  practical  aid.  Nevertheless  the  doctor 
never  faltered  in  his  efforts  to  infuse  a higher  moral  en- 
thusiasm into  college  life.  How  far  he  succeeded  his  asso- 
ciates and  pupils  will  have  cause  gratefully  to  remember. 

1854. — 1.  The  Pathologizing  of  Materia  Medica.  2.  A col- 
location of  essentials  to  a good  drug  proving. — Allg.  Horn. 
Zeitung,  vol.  xlvii. 

During  the  years  1854,  ’55  and  ’56,  Dr.  Hering,  in  con- 
junction with  Dr.  Lippe,  edited  The  Homoeopathic  News,  a 
monthly  bulletin,  each  number  containing  eight  pages 
of  printed  matter  arranged  under  the  following  heads : 
I.  Important  events  and  short  reviews  of  new  hooks 
and  journals  of  our  school.  II.  Practical  observations. 

III.  Original  communications  on  prevailing  diseases. 

IV.  New  and  corroborating  observations  on  the  old  rem- 
edies and  diagnostic  remarks  for  a comparative  repertory. 

V.  Important  observations  with  new  remedies.  VI.  Ex- 
tracts from  a collection  of  letters  from  Hahnemann, 
Stapf,  Gross,  Jenichen  and  others.  VII.  Queries  and 
criticisms.  For  all  this  the  nominal  price  of  thirty-six 
cents  per  annum  was  charged,  the  object  being  to  cheapen 
the  subscription  rate  by  making  it  an  advertising  sheet, 
and  so  to  widen  the  circulation  of  homoeopathic  news. 


77 


1855. — For  the  celebration  of  the  Centennial  Anniver- 
sary of  the  birthday  of  Samuel  Hahnemann,  held  by  the 
friends  of  homoeopathy  in  Philadelphia,  at  Sansom  Street 
Hall,  Hr.  Hering  wrote  an  historical  introduction  entitled 
“Hahnemann  in  the  Cradle,”  from  which  the  following 
is  a quotation : 

When  the  father  in  his  delight  looked  upon  the  little  boy  as  he  lay 
sleeping  in  the  cradle,  could  a thought  of  this  have  entered  his  mind? 
Could  he  have  imagined  that  so  many  years  after,  in  a far  distant  land  and 
another  hemisphere,  reached  in  his  day  only  after  long,  tedious  and  dan- 
gerous voyaging,  in  that  small  town  laid  out  by  Penn  on  the  river  Dela- 
ware, in  the  wilds  of  Pennsylvania,  known  to  him  only  from  the  narration 
of  missionaries,  this  day  would  be  remembered  ? In  that  town,  grown  to 
be  one  of  the  great  cities  of  the  world,  the  birthplace  of  a nation’s  indepen- 
dence, a seat  of  intelligence,  a nursery  of  science  and  a home  of  the  arts, 
so  great  a number,  impelled  by  gratitude,  would  freely  gather  together  to 
do  honor  in  solemn  assembly  to  him  who  lay  there  in  his  cradle  wrapt  in 
the  soft  slumbers  of  innocence  ? Even  the  angels  in  their  holy  watch  could 
not  have  forseen  what  was  known  to  the  Lord  alone.  But  what  was  it  that 
the  father  thought?  It  was  made  known  to  us.  While  he  looked  upon 
the  son  so  much  desired,  this  was  the  thought : “ If  that  boy  is  permitted  to 
grow  up,  I will  give  him  lessons  in  thinking.”  As* he  thought  and  deter- 
mined so  he  acted.  An  old  man  in  Meissen  who  had  forgotten  the  son 
when  he  heard  of  his  fame,  said  smilingly : “ Many  a time  have  I taken  a 
walk  with  his  father,  and  always  at  a certain  hour  he  would  say : ‘ I must 
go  home  now,  I have  to  give  a lesson  to  Samuel,  a lesson  in  thinking ; that 
boy  must  learn  to  think.’  And  he  did  learn  to  think,  and  he  dared  to  be 
wise” 


1856. — American  Provings  (advance  notes  from  the  work 
which  followed  a year  later.) — Zeit.fur  Horn.  Klinik .,  vol  v. 


78 


1857. — American  Drug  Provings.  1 vol.  886  pp.  (German). 
C.  T.  Winter,  Leipzig  and  Heidelberg. 

This  work,  one  of  the  most  important  of  Dr.  Hering’s 
productions,  was  a preliminary  attempt  to  raise  Materia 
Medica  to  the  rank  of  a natural  science.  How  far  this 
attempt  was  successful  the  verdict  of  sincere,  earnest 
critics  has  shown  and  will  show.  The  collection  of  drugs 
in  this  first  volume  is  varied  and  important.  In  the 
carefully  made  provings  the  physiological  effects  are 
brought  out  with  a clearness  and  precision  which  estab- 
lish for  each  of  the  substances  tested  its  place  in  thera- 
peutics. The  Glonoine,  so  named  by  Dr.  Hering,  by 
chemists  called  nitro-glycerine,  from  which  is  prepared 
the  powerful  and  destructive  dynamite,  although  discov- 
ered some  time  before  by  a chemist  named  Sobrero,  was 
nowhere  obtainable  and  had  to  be  made  at  the  instiga- 
tion of  Dr.  Hering.  This  was  done  by  the  Hon.  Morris 
Davis,  of  Philadelphia,  then  chemist  for  the  Lovering 
Sugar  Refineries.  Dr.  Zumbrock,  of  Washington,  Dr. 
Hering’s  assistant,  also  spent  a great  amount  of  patient 
labor  upon  its  preparation,  and  succeeded  in  discovering 
a method  by  which  the  substance  could  be  made,  even 
in  the  hottest  weather,  an  undertaking  previously  fraught 
with  danger,  on  account  of  its  ready  explosiveness  by 
contact  with  heat.  The  effects  upon  the  provers,  of  whom 
Dr.  Hering  himself  was  foremost,  w^ere  of  the  most  pain- 
ful character,  some  of  them  having  symptoms  strongly 


79 


resembling  apoplexy,  the  violent  headache  with  great 
rush  of  blood  to  the  head  being  painfully  prominent. 

The  Apium  virus,  or  poison  of  the  honey  bee,  its  deri- 
vation, nature  and  effects,  upon  the  healthy  as  well  as 
the  sick,  has  received  at  Dr.  Hering’s  hands  the  most 
complete  and  careful  elaboration.  It  is  doubtful  whether 
In  the  literature  of  any  people,  any  medical  substance 
has  ever  received  a similar  amount  of  attention.  Oxalic 
and  Benzoic  acid,  Millefolium,  Cepa,  Hippomanes,  (suggested 
by  Rev.  John  Helfrich,  of  Pennsylvania,  a skilful  and 
enthusiastic  amateur  homoeopath,  to  whom  Dr.  Hering 
was  devoted  in  friendship),  Jatropha  curcas,  Xiphosura, 
Rumex  crispus,  Kalmia  latifolia,  and  Aloe,  their  history, 
introduction,  proving  and  arrangement  of  symptoms, 
complete  the  volume. 

A second  volume  was  to  contain  studies  of  twelve  reme- 
dies, the  fruit  of  more  than  thirty  years  labor,  including 
the  combinations  of  Calcarea  and  Phosphorus,  Calcarea  and 
Arsenic,  Cinnabaris  and  Turpethum,  Argentum,  Palladium, 
Selenium,  Tellurium,  Fluorine  and  Bromine,  Alumen,  one  or 
two  plants,  and  probably  two  products  of  the  animal 
kingdom,  the  analysis  of  which  would  have  been  of  con- 
siderable importance  to  science.  But  on  account  of  the 
slow  sale  of  the  first  volume,  the  market  for  this  class  of 
literature  being  limited,  the  publisher  did  not  care  to 
undertake  the  publication  of  a second,  and  the  uncom- 
pleted manuscripts  remained  on  the  author’s  shelves,  the 
essential  portion  of  them  waiting  to  be  embodied  in  the 


80 


later  and  larger  medical  work,  the  Guiding  Symptoms 
of  Our  Materia  Medica. 

The  “ American  Drug  Provings  ” were  dedicated  to  Dr. 
Hering’s  friend,  Dr.  Ernst  Stapf,  in  Naumburg,  Germany, 
in  a letter  of  which  a translation  is  subjoined,  showing 
with  what  generous  impulses  the  author  was  animated, 
and  what  enthusiasm  he  brought  to  his  work. 

Philadelphia,  Aug.  28th,  1856. 

Dear  Friend  Stapf: 

When  Goethe  sent  to  Dobereiner  those  precious  pieces 
of  pure  Platina  from  the  Duke’s  collection,  it  having  been 
said  how  useful  this  metal  might  become  if  better  known, 
he  gave  to  the  delighted  chemist  this  charge:  “Examine, 
that  good  may  come  of  it.”  Dobereiner  felt  rich  as  a 
Briton,  elated  as  a Frenchman,  happy  as  a German;  and 
went  to  work.  His  investigations  furnished  useful  con- 
tributions to  the  great  stream  of  science. 

When  he  put  into  the  Duke’s  hands  the  igniting-ma- 
chine,  the  purest,  highest  that  mind  of  man  ever  in- 
vented, in  which  the  lightest  of  the  elements  ignites  a 
flame  in  the  heaviest,  each  had  reason  to  be  satisfied  with 
the  other.  Little  did  they  dream  what  other  flame  had 
already  been  kindled  through  the  sacrifice  of  the  Platina 
ore,  a flame  which  will  continue  to  burn  beneficially  to 
the  end  of  time.  For  thou  didst  think — and  a great 
thought  it  was — if  gold  and  silver  in  trituration  can  act 


81 


so  powerfully  on  the  well  and  the  sick,  why  not 
Platina? 

It  was  this  that  drew  thee  towards  the  new  source  in 
the  chemist’s  laboratory. 

From  his  abundance  he  weighed  thee  twenty  grains; 
and  thou  wert  successful  in  reducing  it  to  a crystalline 
powder.  Thou  didst  prove  on  thyself  and  thine,  on  thy 
friend  and  his  wife;  and  the  new  image  of  Platina  re- 
vealed itself  in  lines  so  sharp  and  true  as  to  bear  exami- 
nation from  the  keenest  observer  as  long  as  there  are 
thinking  men.  Thousands  have  already  been  made  well 
by  Platina,  and  in  the  same  ratio  as  the  number  of  physi- 
cians who  gain  scientific  freedom  through  accurate  think- 
ing increases  from  year  to  year,  more  will  be  healed. 

Where  are  the  117  grains  which  later  were  used  on 
dogs  and  rabbits  by  Gmelin?  Where  the  fruits  of  this 
bootless  labor? 

With  the  Platina  thou  didst  at  the  same  time  pave  the 
way  to  a new  manner  of  preparation,  that  of  precipitating 
metals  in  dust-form;  an  essential  advance  in  the  proving 
on  the  healthy  as  well  as  in  the  treatment  of  the  sick. 
As  soon  as  chemists  had  learned  to  make  more  prepara- 
tions of  a similar  nature,  and  J.  B.  Buchner  had  urged 
their  introduction,  and  Mayerhofer  had  made. his  excel- 
lent investigations  (microscopical),  this  remained  a per- 
manent legacy.  And  still  further  were  carried  the  fruits 
of  thy  thought.  The  first  number  of  the  Archives  ap- 
peared, issued  by  Reclam  in  Leipzig.  To  purchase  it,  a 
6 


82 


poor  young  man  parted  with  his  last  groschen.  In  it  he 
found  Platina;  he  read,  and  felt  as  did  Balboa  and  his 
followers  when,  in  the  home  of  Platina,  they  reached  the 
heights  and  first  saw  the  broad  ocean  on  the  other  side 
of  the  continent. 

“ Each  metal  acts,  and  each  in  its  peculiar  way.”  These 
words  were  all  sufficient.  Work!  and  Materia  Medica 
must  become  a natural  science.  This  remained  the  ru- 
ling idea  of  his  life.  He  has  since  grown  old,  and  rich 
in  all  good  gifts,  and  greets  to-day,  thee,  to  whom  he 
owes  all  this.  And  if  these  words  of  love  do  reach  thee, 
let  also  hope  stand  by  thy  side : “ See  how  the  spirit-shut- 
tles fly,  and  one  stroke  such  varied  combinations  makes.” 

As  Dobereiner  was  influenced  by  Goethe;  thou  by  Do- 
hereiner,  and  as  thou  in  turn  didst  animate  me,  so  may 
these  words  work  good  where  we  neither  know  nor  can 
foresee.  They  may  raise  up  a hero  for  the  days  that  are 
coming,  the  days  in  which  the  dragon  of  prejudice  and 
delusion  will  be  slain.  Therefore,  in  good  faith  as  we 
have  worked  until  now,  let  us  continue  to  work ; the  time 
must  come  when  the  right  will  prevail. 

Our  noble  art  will  be  wedded  to  true  science,  and  physi- 
cians will  be  happier  and  make  happier.  Our  work  will 
never  go  down,  because  it  promotes  the  most  beneficial 
of  arts,  and  that  by  strict  investigation ; and  because  it 
thereby  belongs  to  the  higher,  the  eternal ; to  that  which 
was  and  is  and  is  to  come. 

So  fare  thee  well. 


Thy  Constantine  Hering. 


83 


1858. — 1.  Baunscheidtismus;  or,  The  Secret  Discovered. — 

Zeit.  fiir  Horn.  KliniJc.,  vol.  vii. 

2.  A comforting  elegy  at  the  grave  of  despair  of  all  medical 
youths  in  our  dear  country  and  other  nice  places.  Printed  for 
private  distribution.  Philadelphia. 

This  is  an  excellent  satire  in  verse,  containing  six 
hundred  lines,  suggested  by  reading  in  a German  paper 
an  account  of  the  forty-third  convention  of  German 
naturalists  and  medical  men  held  in  Bonn  in  1857. 
The  closing  words  of  Professor  Strempel,  the  orator, 
which  gave  rise  to  the  satire  were  to  the  effect,  that  there 
were  not  the  least  grounds  for  despair  in  the  practice  of 
medicine  on  the  part  of  younger  members  of  the  profes- 
sion ; that  although  patients  often  got  well  of  themselves, 
and  nature  received  the  credit  of  these  cures,  there  was 
no  denying  those  made  by  drugs,  even  in  large  doses; 
that  the  newer  generation  of  doctors  should  turn  to  ac- 
count the  experience  of  the  profession,  and  never  trust  to 
experiments  made  on  the  healthy  or  so-called  provings  of 
medicines  which  never  could  be  of  the  slightest  use  in 
the  treatment  of  the  sick.  The  assembly  rose  en  masse 
and  cheered  the  speaker. 

Dr.  Hering’s  lines  begin : “Not  to  write  satires  is  hard, 
sighs  Juvenal,”  and  preserving  the  classical  measure 
throughout,  the  writer  deals  out,  in  the  most  humorous 
terms,  ridicule  and  rebuke  to  the  Old  School  as  well  as 
hard  knocks  to  those  within  the  walls  who  deserve  them. 


84 


1859.  — 1.  A peal  for  the  Jubilee,  Schiller,  Shakespeare,  Hum- 
boldt. An  Address.  Philadelphia. 

2.  A Criticism  on  the  British  Repertory. — Am.  Horn.  Rev., 
vol.  i. 

1860.  — The  Natural  Boundary.  Pamphlet.  8vo.,  pp.  27, 
Philadelphia. 

In  this  pamphlet,  originally  a lecture  delivered  before 
the  Kannegiesser  Club  of  Philadelphia,  organized  for  the 
purpose  of  discussing  German  politics  in  a friendly  spirit, 
Dr.  Hering  defined  the  boundary  line  that  equitably 
should  exist  between  Germany  and  France.  The  broch- 
ure was  read  with  considerable  interest  in  political  circles 
and  its  bold  remarks,  prompted  by  love  and  loyalty  to  the 
fatherland,  were  greatly  commended  by  those  on  the  Ger- 
man side.  He  defined  the  natural  boundary  of  a country 
to  be  its  natural  landmarks,  such  as  the  sea,  mountain 
ranges  and  water-sheds.  The  German  Rhine  stream  was 
not  to  be  the  dividing  line  between  two  countries  so  dif- 
ferent in  character.  The  Germans  must  have  what  be- 
longed to  them  centuries  ago,  portions  of  the  land  on  the 
left  hank  of  the  stream,  Alsace  and  Lorraine.  In  illustra- 
tion of  this  he  made  very  ingenious  use  of  “Red  Riding 
Hood,”  the  favorite  French  nursery  tale,  but  gave  it  the 
German  ending. 

Not  Bed  Hiding  Hood  (Alsace)  alone  must  come  out  of  the  wolf  again, 
but  also  the  old  grandmother  (Lorraine),  who  for  long  centuries  has  been 
sleeping  there.  (Strange  to  say  the  grandmother  does  not  figure  in  the 

% 


85 


French  version  of  the  fairy  tale ; in  the  German  she  plays  an  important 
part.)  As  all  know  the  wolf  had  gobbled  up  the  grandmother ; to  carry 
out  our  simile,  in  the  hurly-burly  of  time,  he  had  appropriated  the  Rhone 
district.  He  next  cast  his  eye  upon  charming  Red  Riding- Hood,  flattered 
her  and  fawned  upon  her,  tried  his  old  tricks,  went  to  bed  and  put  on  the 
Richelieu  cap.  Red  Riding-Hood  had  gathered  flowers  in  the  woods ; 
the  blessed  blue  flower  which  opens  heaven  and  its  wonders ; the  red 
flower  which  opens  the  poet’s  mind  to  all  that  happens  on  earth  ; the  yel- 
low flower  to  which  are  subject  all  treasures  in  and  upon  the  earth,  and 
she  came  to  offer  her  flowers  to  grandmother.  O,  thou  home  of  poetry 
since  time  immemorial,  thou  land  of  Burgundy,  dost  thou  not  find  pleas- 
ure in  the  flowers  that  now  blossom  on  the  Rhine  ? 

There  lay  the  wolf  in  bed.  “ What  big  eyes  you  have !”  “ That  I can 

better  see  you  !”  “ What  a big  mouth  you  have  !”  “ That  I may  better 

eat  you.”  No  sooner  said  than  done;  Red  Riding-Hood  is  gobbled  up. 
Here  the  nursery  tale  ends  as  told  by  the  French.  Grandmother  is  eaten 
up,  Le  Petit  Chaperon-rouge  too,  and  the  wolf  is  master  of  the  situation. 
He  thinks  he  has  a right  to  both,  the  rapacious  creature  who  figures  so 
largely  in  French  nursery  tales  and  sayings.  (There  is,  however,  a young 
hunter  in  the  German  version  of  the  tale,  who  comes  to  the  rescue,  shoots 
the  wolf  through  the  head,  cuts  him  open  with  his  hunting  knife  and  lib- 
erates Red  Riding-Hood.)  Alsace,  our  beloved  Alsace,  with  its  cathedral 
in  Strasburg,  and  all  the  true  glory  of  our  Goethe,  the  young  hunter,  meet 
and  embrace.  Thus  far  my  grandmother  had  told  me  the  story  without 
mentioning  Alsace,  for  I was  but  six  years  old.  I wanted  to  know  what 
had  become  of  the  grandmother.  Where  was  she  ? This  pleased  the  old 
lady  and  she  answered,  “ that  is  what  Red  Riding-Hood  asked  the  young 
hunter  when  they  were  so  happy,  and  he  looked  into  the  wolf  again,  and 
there  found  grandmother  fast  asleep.  They  helped  her  out,  she  rubbed 
her  eyes  and  said,  ‘ how  long  I have  been  asleep  this  morning !’  and  bustled 
off  to  bake  some  cakes.”  The  end,  of  course,  pleased  me,  the  six  year  old, 
best ; but  I know  that  I was  then  a true  and  thorough  German  without 
being  aware  of  it.  And  now,  past  sixty,  I am  still  a German,  with  this 
difference,  that  I am  thoroughly  aware  of  it.  And  I am  aware  of  more  than 


86 


this.  I know  that  if  we  ever  regain  Alsace,  Lorraine  the  grandmother, 
must  not  be  forgotten. 

Since  the  great  struggle  between  the  Powers  of  1870 
and  1871,  Alsace  and  Lorraine  once  more  belong  to  Ger- 
many, and  it  is  easy  to  imagine  what  joy  filled  the  heart 
of  the  author  of  “ The  Natural  Boundary  ” at  this  con- 
summation of  his  intense  desire.  The  pamphlet  written 
ten  years  before  seemed  almost  prophetic. 

New  Hatchels.  1 vol.  (German)  Leipzig.  A.  Wienbrack. 

Like  its  predecessor,  this  volume  is  a collection  of  satiri- 
cal essays.  Under  their  several  titles,  a commentary, 
with  extracts,  is  appended. 

No.  1. — Homoeopathic  College-  and  other  Chairs.  This  is  a 
reply  to  three  columns  in  the  German  KliniJc,  headed  “A 
Homoeopathic  Chair,”  by  Dr.  Alexander  Goschen,  ad- 
dressed to  the  Prussian  Government,  with  the  intention 
of  rendering  unsuccessful  an  appeal  for  the  founding  of 
a homoeopathic  hospital.  The  issue  joined  is  theoretical 
rather  than  practical,  for  Dr.  Hering  was  ever  opposed 
to  courting  favor  from  corporation  authorities,  and  would 
rather  have  seen  his  cause  slighted  than  introduced 
by  force,  as  was  near  happening  when  Napoleon  read 
Hahnemann’s  Organon  before  his  march  to  Russia,  and 
threatened  to  introduce  the  new  treatment  into  the  army 
on  his  return.  On  hearing  of  this  Dr.  Hering  said  he 
was  twice  as  glad  of  his  overthrow.  Restraint  upon  the 


87 


arts  and  sciences  was  as  odious  to  him  as  the  loss  of 
personal  liberty. 

Dr.  Goschen  makes  free  use  of  the  old  and  threadbare 
phrases,  “ homoeopathy  is  dead,”  “ homoeopathy  is  dying,” 
“homoeopathy  is  losing  ground,”  to  which  Dr.  Hering 
replies : 

Were  it  not  much  wiser  if  such  were  really  the  case  not  to  interfere  with 
the  granting  of  an  appeal  for  a hospital  in  which,  according  to  the  logic  of 
the  learned  doctor  who  writes  for  the  Klinik , not  the  least  good  could  be 
done,  and  hence  must,  on  account  of  its  own  masterly  inefficiency,  end  in 
a total  smash-up  ? These  phrases  I have  often  heard  in  many  lands  and 
in  different  places.  The  first  time  they  fell  on  my  ear  is  exactly  as  many 
years  ago  as  Moses  saw  fit  to  keep  the  Jews  wandering  through  the  wilder- 
ness, with  this  difference,  that  the  Jews  finally  entered  the  promised  land, 
but  the  doctors  still  remain  outside.  I was  at  that  time  employed  in  writ- 
ing against  homoeopathy,  it  was  in  the  winter  of  1821,  and  when  I de- 
clared my  intention  to  make  the  experiments,  I was  warned  by  the  apothe- 
cary in  Leipzig,  in  whose  good  graces  I stood  and  who  had  given  me  many 
a handsome  specimen  for  my  pharmacological  collection,  of  the  danger  a 
young  man  exposed  himself  to  under  such  circumstances,  the  risk  of  fall- 
ing into  the  trap,  the  almost  inevitable  chance  of  ending  in  self  delusion. 
At  these  well  meant  admonitions  I probably  turned  up  my  nose,  but  when, 
after  carefully  examining  into  the  matter  I found  there  was  something  in 
it,  something  that  could  not  be  refuted,  my  book  remained  unpublished, 
and  with  the  renewed  violent  outbreak  against  Hahnemann  which  occurred 
at  the  time,  I had  much  to  suffer,  even  the  pangs  of  hunger.  I was 
warned  by  kind  friends  to  desist  from  making  sacrifices  to  a dead  cause. 
That  was  the  first  news  I had  of  the  death  of  homoeopathy. 

In  despite  of  all  homoeopathy  was  yet  alive  a year  later,  although  I had 
come  near  dying  myself,  that  horrible  death  to  which  so  many  young  phy- 
sicians have  fallen  victim.  I was  called  upon  to  make  a post  mortem  in 
the  case  of  a suicide  whose  body  had  been  taken  from  the  grave,  because 


88 


others  were  afraid  to  undertake  the  job.  Through  working  too  long  among 
the  poisoned  entrails,  a cut  on  my  finger  which  had  scabbed  over  became 
denuded,  partly  through  washing  my  hands  in  hot  water  and  soap,  and  in 
a few  days  my  finger  had  begun  to  mortify.  I was  enabled  to  study  the 
disease  against  which  leeches,  calomel  and  hell-stone  proved  powerless. 
Amputation  I declined,  because  the  loss  of  my  first  finger  would  have  ser- 
iously embarrassed  me  in  the  practice  of  my  profession.  So  deeply  incredu- 
lous was  I at  the  time,  of  the  action  of  remedies  applied  internally,  and 
especially  in  small  doses  for  external  diseases,  that  it  was  with  difficulty  a 
pupil  of  Hahnemann  persuaded  me  to  take  the  ridiculously  minute  doses 
of  Arsenicum.  When  a sense  of  recovery  from  this  terrible  affliction  began 
to  pervade  me,  there  vanished  the  last  obstacles  that  interposed  between 
my  eyes  and  the  rising  sun  of  the  new  healing  art.  The  finger  is  still  my 
own;  it  is  the  one  with  which  I pen  these  lines.  To  Hahnemann  who  re- 
stored it  was  given  the  hand,  even  more,  the  man,  body  and  soul ; his 
teachings  had  not  only  been  the  means  of  saving  my  life,  but  new  life 
filled  my  very  soul.  And  they  say  to  me,  the  living,  “ homoeopathy  is 
dead !”  So  time  and  time  again,  the  dead  have  buried  their  dead,  and  the 
world  moves  on. 

We  do  not  hold  in  contempt  your  teachings,  which  we  accept  as  far  as 
they  accord  with  truth,  nor  do  we  disdain  your  opposition,  for  we  recog- 
nize the  historical  necessity  of  antagonism  in  a province  in  which  proba- 
bilities must  be  weighed.  We  admit  that  the  newness  and  strangeness  in 
the  teachings  of  Hahnemann  must  astonish  investigators  as  they  have  as- 
tonished us.  We  are  prepared  to  answer  all  objections  made  in  a proper 
spirit,  and  will  do  so  cheerfully.  But  we  do  hold  in  contempt  all  efforts 
to  slander  and  undermine  our  cause.  We  regard  our  cause  in  the  light 
of  an  historical  event  destined  to  benefit  humanity,  and  we  carry  within  us 
the  assurance  that  victory  will  be  ours. 


No.  2. — Doppelmops  (snuff)  in  homoeopathy.  This  satire, 
put  in  the  form  of  a letter,  from  school-master  Sneeze-  f 
back,  in  Wartewitz,  to  Dr.  Hering,  and  an  answer  from 


89 


the  same  to  school-master  Sneezeback,  was  occasioned 
by  an  attempt  on  the  part  of  a bungler  in  the  homoe- 
opathic ranks  to  introduce  mixed  prescriptions.  School- 
master Sneezeback  has  caught  the  mania  to  dabble  in 
homoeopathic  medicines.  He  sends  for  a box  of  the 
highest  potencies,  which  he  obtains  through  the  wife  of 
the  magistrate,  whose  husband,  however,  is  not  favorable 
to  the  cause,  and  surreptitiously  tampers  with  the  med- 
icines as  they  pass  through  the  custom  house. 

Imagine  Sneezeback’s  consternation  when,  on  opening  the  box,  he  finds 
a chaos  of  broken  glass,  pellets  and  corks.  Through  every  curl  in  the 
paper  shavings  are  visible  the  sharp  projecting,  yet  gently  curving  glass 
splinters,  looking  for  all  the  world  like  the  poison  fangs  of  a young  brood 
of  rattlesnakes.  In  what  idiotic  bewilderment  lie  the  smooth  corks,  their 
tops  bearing  the  imprint  of  abbreviated  names  and  numbers  prefiguring 
lofty  things.  And  alas,  the  globules  ! Where  are  they  ? Scattered  like 
Napoleon’s  army  when  routed  by  the  icy  winds  of  the  north  and  Moscow’s 
flames.  Never  had  he  seen  such  a lot  of  priceless,  forty-day  acting,  high, 
most  highly  charged  pellets  rolling  in  such  utter  and  hopeless  confusion 
among  the  litter  of  paper  and  glass  in  the  bottom  of  the  box ! Oh,  school- 
master, sobbed  the  magistrate’s  wife,  how  rough  was  the  coach-box  in 
which  came  this  precious  parcel ; how  uneven  are  still  the  ways  of  our 
dear  fatherland ! Sneezeback  took  comfort  to  his  soul  by  “ saving  the 
pieces,”  which  he  carried  home,  sifted  the  globules  from  the  paper  and 
broken  glass,  put  all  the  globules  together  into  a jar  with  dilute  alcohol, 
labelled  the  bottle  “ Universalinum,”  and  the  greatest  idea  of  the  century 
was  complete.  Here  was  a ready  remedy  for  every  ill.  Good  bye  to  books 
and  hard  study,  in  future  the  practice  of  medicine  is  easy ! 

No.  3. — A proposal  for  the  entire  annihilation  of  the  so- 
called  homoeopathy  by  a scientific  method. 


90 


Under  the  adopted  name  of  Dr.  Wisent,  the  sobriquet 
of  his  student  days,  the  author  has  here  written  over  fifty 
pages  of  as  interesting  matter  as  ever  entered  into  the 
composition  of  a hoax.  The  proposition  to  kill  homoe- 
opathy in  a highly  respectable  manner,  is  put  into  the 
mouth  of  Professor  Wunderlich,  the  celebrated  medical 
practitioner  and  historian  in  the  old  school.  To  him 
also  is  satirically  dedicated  the  second  edition  of  this 
pamphlet.  Perhaps  some  idea  of  the  admirable  irony 
which  pervades  the  whole  composition  may  he  formed 
from  reading  the  following  brief  extracts.  Without  any 
regard  to  the  high  and  influential  position  of  his  oppo- 
nent, the  doctor  applies  the  lash  without  mercy. 

Says  the  allopathic  professor : It  is  in  vain  that  the  students  of  medicine 
in  all  German  universities  are  warned  against,  and  influenced  to  abhor, 
this  monstrosity  (homoeopathy).  The  dangerous  period  arrives  when  these 
young  doctors  enter  practice.  It  is  then  that  they  are  misled  by  acquaint- 
ances and  friends,  or  seduced  by  the  prospect  of  gain ; and  too  often  after 
trying  the  dangerous  method  in  secret  they  later  become  open  professors 
of  it ; and  what  is  most  remarkable  is  that  these  deluded  victims  become 
enthusiasts  in  defence  of  what  formerly,  in  the  light  of  reason,  appeared 
absurd  to  them. 

The  articles  of  confession  divulging  the  weak  points  in 
the  old  faith,  which  precede  the  proposition  to  kill*  are 
six  in  number. 

1.  In  the  first  place  we  are  too  hotheaded  in  our  written  replies  as  well 
as  in  our  personal  remarks.  It  is  a fault,  but  it  is  poor  strategem.  We 
have  been  tried  to  the  extreme  verge  of  endurance,  but  this  does  not  ex- 
cuse our  want  of  etiquette  in  the  eyes  of  the  public.  I would  counsel, 


91 


either  that  we  entirely  ignore  our  opponent’s  doings,  their  writings  as  well 
as  all  they  say  and  do,  or  that  we  confront  them  with  cool  and  dignified 
selfpossession,  in  literature  as  well  as  in  private  life.  Not  a year  passes 
but  we  hear  of  new  steps  of  progress  made  by  our  opponents ; each  month 
brings  us  news  of  influential  people  having  placed  themselves  under  their 
treatment.  We  now  and  then  hear  of  their  failures  to  save  a patient,  but 
more  often  we  hear  of  imaginative  people  who  are  credulous  enough  to  be- 
lieve that  they  have  gotten  well  under  that  treatment.  I would  therefore 
strongly  counsel  that  we  refrain  from  crowing  over  every  bad  failure  our 
opponents  make  ; it  only  incites  them  to  redoubled  exertions,  and  we  can- 
not expect  to  awaken  enthusiasm  against  them,  but  they  understand  how 
to  arouse  it  in  their  behalf.  It  would  be  better  to  throw  from  us  all  such 
useless  weapons. 

2.  It  is  not  a good  plan  to  underrate  the  strength  of  an  enemy.  Many 
a lost  battle  recorded  in  history  will  serve  as  a warning  example  to  all 
who  woul<J  disregard  this  admonition.  We  cannot  close  our  eyes  to  the 
fact  that  men  of  influence,  mind  and  intellectual  attainments,  have  gone 
over  to  the  other  side.  Persons  who  have  been  inveigled  will  not  thank 
you  for  trying  to  open  their  eyes  ; besides,  in  a field  where  facts  may  be  so 
differently  interpreted,  it  were  folly  to  attempt  aught  else  than  the  expres- 
sion of  an  opinion. 

3.  It  is  not  safe  to  challenge  a comparison  of  work  done  in  hospitals, 
clinics  and  the  like. 

4.  It  does  not  pay  to  ridicule  the  enemy.  It  is  a game  at  which  two  can 
play ; besides,  attempts  of  the  kind  such  as  the  well  known  allusions  to 
sugar  powders,  bottle  washing,  etc.,  always  fall  flat,  and  often  have  the  re- 
verse effect  of  what  was  intended.  Our  opponents  appeal  to  experience 
and  tell  us  to  make  the  experiments,  which  is,  of  course,  altogether  out  of 
the  question  for  a regular  physician  to  do. 

5.  It  is  a mistake  to  attribute  cures  made  by  homoeopaths  to  faith,  nature 
or  diet.  Our  patients  will  naturally  clamor  to  be  cured  in  a like  easy 
manner.  It  is  likewise  futile  to  endeavor  to  instruct  our  patients  and  talk 
them  into  a belief  that  homoeopathy  is  all  moonshine  and  devoid  of  merit. 
It  has  been  my  sad  experience  that  after  such  well  meant  instruction,  some 


92 


of  my  best  families  have  taken  the  first  opportunity  to  try  secretly  the  new 
method,  and  became  converts.  People  have  a strong  leaning  to  a belief  in 
wonders  and  so-called  miracles,  and  it  is  useless  to  try  to  explain  away 
anything  of  the  kind,  particularly  when  they  have  made  trial  and  obtained 
relief. 

6.  Finally,  it  is  an  unpardonable  and  fatal  mistake  if  we  resort  to  un- 
truths or  become  guilty  of  injustice,  as  I blush  to  own  has  often  happened, 
in  our  mode  of  warfare  against  the  new  school.  The  fruits  have  been  bad. 
With  all  due  respect  to  a high  code  of  morals,  I am  not  at  all  disposed  to 
moralize  or  preach,  I will  simply  call  attention  to  the  advice  given  by  a 
French  woman  of  the  world  to  her  nephew.  “ Dear  nephew,”  she  said, 
“ never  tell  a lie !”  When  the  nephew  received  this  advice,  with  a some- 
what surprised  air  she  continued,  “ I will  tell  you  why.  Because  none  but 
fools  and  blockheads  will  believe  you !”  A good  cause  will  never  be 
helped  by  an  untruth.  It  pains  me  to  meet  again  and  again  with  such  un- 
just assertions  as  these:  “Hahnemann  was  a charlatan,”  “homoeopaths 
conceal  the  most  deadly  poisons  in  their  small  doses,”  “ homoeopaths  are 
no  surgeons,”  “ their  standard  of  medical  education  is  not  up  to  the  mark.” 
All  such  assertions  serve  but  to  place  us  in  a contemptible  position,  and 
fail  to  have  the  desired  effect  of  annihilating  homoeopathy. 

Arrived  at  this  point  of  self-abnegation  and  high  standard  of  medical 
ethics,  the  professor  offers  a series  of  resolutions,  which  if  carried  out,  he 
believes  will  be  calculated  to  give  homoeopathy  the  death  blow  : “ Resolved, 
That  we  forbear  hostilities  against  homoeopaths  in  general  as  well  as  indi- 
vidually, as  nugatory  in  effect  and  discreditable  to  ourselves;  that  in  the 
light  of  enemies  we  ignore  their  existence  in  word,  social  intercourse  and 
literature.  By  this  course  we  hope  to  quell  their  opposition,  and  should 
they  persist  in  persecuting  us,  it  will  be  the  means  of  turning  the  tide  of 
public  sympathy  in  our  favor  ; it  is  by  no  means  intended  that  we  should 
hold  ourselves  aloof  from  all  means  of  becoming  better  acquainted  with 
their  doctrines ; on  the  contrary  we  should  not  miss  an  opportunity  of 
learning  from  them ; we  need  not  scruple  that  by  this  means  we  raise 
them  into  undue  prominence. 

Resolved,  That  we  no  longer  experiment  on  the  sick,  but  try  the  effect 


93 


of  our  drugs  on  the  healthy ; that  we  pay  more  attention  to  what  are 
called  trifles  ; in  short,  that  we  learn  to  individualize  as  closely  as  our  op- 
ponents do.  We  are  aware  of  the  importance  of  experiments  hitherto 
made  on  animals,  but  realize  that  provings  made  upon  ourselves  and  such 
friends  as  are  willing  to  assist  science,  are  of  greater  importance. 

Resolved  finally,  That  we  exercise  the  utmost  justice  in  giving  credit 
where  it  is  due  ; let  us  acknowledge  the  good  Hahnemann  and  his  school 
have  done ; the  modifying  influence  it  has  exerted  on  our  practice ; the 
almost  total  abandonment  of  blood-letting ; the  reduction  in  size  and  se- 
verity of  blisters ; the  diminution  of  the  quantities  of  medicine  heretofore 
given  ; the  finer  physiological  effects  of  drugs  of  which  we  have  become 
convinced  through  the  experiments  on  the  healthy ; the  greater  acuteness 
with  which  we  observe  and  investigate  diseases ; the  more  minute  atten- 
tention  paid  to  the  injurious  influence  on  the  health  of  stimulants  and 
other  agencies  formerly  considered  inert,  now  forbidden  as  disturbing  ele- 
ments in  the  treatment  of  a case  ; the  addition  of  new  remedies  to  the  Ma- 
teria Medica,  as  for  example,  Nux  vomica,  Arnica,  Pulsatilla,  etc.  As 
all  this  has  exerted  a powerful  influence  to  remodel  our  practice,  let  us 
then  give  honor  where  honor  is  due  ; let  us  above  all  things  be  scrupu- 
lously just,  and  we  shall  surely  triumph  over  our  opponents,  who,  perhaps, 
in  less  than  a decade  will  be  spoken  of  as  having  existed  and  fulfilled 
their  mission ; homoeopathy  will  have  experienced  total  annihilation. 

No.  4. — Anacardium  as  Anticriticum. 

Hatchel  No.  1,  against  Goschen  & Co.,  being  thought  a 
little  too  severe,  drew  upon  the  author  the  censure  of  one 
of  the  homoeopathic  periodicals,  and  in  this,  No.  4,  in  his 
usual  lively  vein,  he  takes  occasion  to  criticise  the  critic. 
Anacardium , a drug  which  has  among  its  provings  the 
symptom  “all  things  taste  to  him  like  herring-brine”  is 
recommended.  It  might  also  benefit  the  critic’s  “weak 
memory”  in  regard  to  the  effects  of  high  potencies,  which 


94 


he  often  fails  to  remember.  The  Anacardium  symptoms 
of  the  “popular  Polonius”  are  analyzed  at  greater  length; 
let  us  hope  that  he  took  the  remedy  and  was  cured  of 
hyper-criticism. 

With  this,  the  fourth  essay,  the  author  of  “Homoeo- 
pathic Hatchels”  makes  his  bow  to  the  public,  and  closes 
his  short  series  of  satires  with  the  following  remarks : 

* * * I am  nothing  more  than  a pennon  bearer  in  the  bull  fight ; I throw 
my  banderillas  (little  harpoons  with  rustling  ribbons  and  explosive  squibs) 
into  the  bull’s  neck  when  he  snorts  in  the  arena,  or  has  grown  indifferent 
to  the  picadores  ; but  I withdraw  into  the  farthest  corner  when  the  mata- 
dors enter.  I see  the  principles  of  Grauvogl  excite  the  bull  to  rage  and 
frenzy,  and  in  his  maddening  attack  receive  into  his  heart  the  piercing 
sword  of  philosophy  ; I see  him  fall ; the  matador,  quick  as  lightning,  has 
withdrawn  his  sword,  and  proudly  waving  it  aloft,  he  marches  trium- 
phantly through  the  arena,  and  then  forgetting  all  prevention-of-cruelty 
disapproval,  I shout  for  joy  with  the  people  because  of  the  victory  achieved. 

1.  Cases  of  Diphtheria. — Am.  Horn.  Review,  vol.  ii. 

2.  Preface  to  the  Fourth  American  edition  of  Hahnemann’s 
Organon. 

1861.  — 1.  Critical  Remarks  on  the  Scientific  Communications 
on  Snake-poison. — Allg.  Horn.  Zeitung,  vol.  lxiii. 

2.  Where  is  the  Proof  to  these  Symptoms?  A Reply  to  Dr. 
Hoppe. — Horn.  Vierteljahrschrift , vol.  xii. 

1862.  — 1.  G-elseminum  nitidum,  an  important  new  polychrest. 
- — Allg.  Horn.  Zeitung , vols.  lxiv  and  lxv.  2.  The  contro- 
versy is  ended;  to  what  purpose  now  the  Shiboleth,  an  unintel- 


95 


ligible  one  at  that? — Horn.  Vierteljahrschrift,  vol.  xiii.  3. 
Digitalis  according  to  the  Monography  of  Baehr  and  Black. — 
Am.  Horn.  Review , vol.  iii. 

1863. — 1.  A warning  against  the  Parisian  “Lachesis.”  2. 
Anecdotes  from  life.  3.  A review  of  Kleinert’s  “Sources  of 
Physiological  Drug  Provings.”  4.  A Historical  Remark  on 
Euphrasia.  5.  Conciliatory  Criticism  upon  the  Parisian  La- 
chesis.— Allg.  Horn.  Zeitung,  vol.  lxvii.  6.  Proving  of  Lith- 
ium carbonicum.  7;  Chessmoves;  a reply  to  the  “Studies”  of 
Dr.  Roth  in  Paris. — Horn.  Vierteljahrschrift , vol.  xiv.  8. 
Provings  of  Lithium  carbonicum. — Am.  Horn.  Review , vol.  iv. 

9.  Moss  and  Mosquitos.  A popular  science  discourse.  Pam- 
phlet, 8vo.,  pp.  8.  Philadelphia. 

In  this  short  paper  the  author  puts  in  a plea  for  the 
much  disliked  and  abused  mosquito,  claiming  for  that 
little  insect  useful  services  rendered  for  which  mortals 
cannot  be  too  grateful.  He  very  carefully  studied  the 
habits  of  the  mosquito  and  discovered  that  its  larvae 
purify  swamps  and  stagnant  pools  from  the  matter  which 
renders  noxious  the  atmosphere  and  breeds  malaria. 

By  observation  he  estimated  that  a single  active  larvae 
is  able  to  purify  half  a pint  of  dirty  water  in  an  hour. 

* * * Giving  the  little  worker  eight  hours  out  of  the  twenty-four  in 
which  to  rest  he  would  still  accomplish  the  purification  of  a gallon  per 
day,  or  in  his  short  life  of  about  three  weeks  duration,  a total  of  twenty-one 
gallons.  There  are  millions  of  mosquitos.  Each  mosquito  lays  about 
three  hundred  eggs,  frorn  which  come  three  hundred  more  larvae,  and  as 


96 


she  repeats  this  effort  half  a dozen  times  in  a season,  she  is  capable,  with 
her  active  family,  of  purifying  six  trillion  gallons  of  water  in  a year.  Is 
she  not  entitled  to  our  respect  ? In  future  let  us  not  begrudge  her  the  wee 
drop  of  blood  in  return  for  which  she  renders  us  such  valuable  service. 

In  a study  of  mosses  is  found  a further  illustration  of 
the  great  utility  of  small  things. 

* * The  mosses,  joining  their  leaflets,  cover  large  tracts  of  hillside,  and 
with  their  tiny  hands  catch  the  torrents  which  pour  from  the  clouds,  break 
their  force,  and  gradually,  little  by  little,  give  the  water  to  the  fountains,  the 
rivulets  and  the  streams.  Where  the  mosses  are  not,  the  sudden  and  vio- 
lent showers  of  rain  pour  precipitously  down  the  hillside,  carry  with  them 
the  good  soil,  choke  with  mud  the  valleys,  fill  with  sand  the  beds  of  brooks, 
produce  freshets  and  destroy  the  work  of  human  hands.  Moss  protects  the 
forests,  and  the  forests  maintain  the  world. 

In  the  year  1863-’64,  Dr.  Hering  wrote  a series  of 
short  German  stories  or  novellettes  which  were  published 
in  Sondershausen  by  Fr.  Aug.  Eupel,  under  the  title  of 
“ Flugblaetter,”  Flying  Leaves.  As  the  title  would  in- 
dicate these  publications  were  written  in  a popular  style, 
their  purpose  being  to  acquaint  the  laity  with  homoeop- 
athy in  a pleasant  and  readable  form.  It  was  always  his 
aim  to  instruct  the  people,  and  when  he  wrote  for  them 
his  style  was  at  its  best;  he  then  gave  utterance  to  his 
best  thoughts,  in  language  both  plain  and  forcible,  as 
may  be  seen  in  his  popular  work  on  domestic  medicine, 
particularly  in  the  German  edition. 


1864. — 1.  Langhammer  and  no  end.  2.  A Request  for  in- 
formation from  Dr.  Eidherr.  3.  The  morbid  fear  of  Hydropho- 


97 


bia  (reproduced  in  Am.  Horn.  Review , yol.  v.). — Allg.  Horn. 
Zeitung , vol.  lxviii.  4.  Tellurium  against  trichinae.  5.  A 
proposed  complete  Materia  Medica  (reproduced  in  Am.  Horn. 
Review,  vol.  v.).  6.  The  superficial  and  the  vital  in  our  Ma- 

teria Medica. — Ibid,  vol.  lxix.  7.  Introduction  to  the  course 
of  lectures  on  Therapeutics  at  the  Homoeopathic  College,  Phila- 
delphia (delivered  October  13th).  8.  A few  wellmeant 

words  to  beginners  on  our  Materia  Medica.— Ibid,  vol.  lxxi. 
9.  Provings  of  Tellurium.  10.  A proposal  to  publish  a stand- 
ard work  on  Materia  Medica. — Am.  Horn.  Review,  vol.  v. 

1885. — 1.  An  American  protest  against  Lutze’s  publication 
of  Hahnemann’s  Organon.  2.  The  new  Materia  Medica.  3.  A 
golden  wedding  in  Philadelphia.  4.  Sifting  the  drug  symp- 
toms (reproduced  in  Am.  Horn.  Review,  vol.  vi,  and  in  the 
Brit.  Jour,  of  Horn.,  vol.  xxiv).  5.  An  example  of  patho- 
logical presumption.  6.  An  essay  on  taste  and  smell. — Allg. 
Horn.  Zeitung,  vol.  lxxi.  7.  Hahnemann’s  three  rules  con- 
cerning the  rank  of  symptoms.  8.  The  rules  of  sides.  9.  Rule 
and  rules  again. — Hahnemann  Monthly,  vol  i.  10.  Our  Ma- 
teria Medica. — Am.  Horn.  Review,  vol.  vi. 

1866. — 1.  Provings  of  Cistus  canadensis.  2.  Gross’s  differ- 
ential diagnosis  of  remedies,  with  specimen  pages  from  his 
work.  3.  The  importance  of  complete  collections  of  symptoms. 
— Allg.  Horn.  Zeitung.  vol.  lxxii:  4.  Kobalt;  an  American 
proving.  5.  The  so-called  cholera  on  board  of  English  ships. 
6.  Wilful  misrepresentations.  7.  Our  success. — Ibid,  vol.  lxxiii. 
8.  Remarks  on  Badiaga. — Hahnemann  Monthly,  vol.  ii. 

7 


98 


It  was  about  1866  or  1867  that  Dr.  Hering  first  issued 
his  “Characteristics”  or  “ Materia  Medica  Cards,”  several 
editions  of  which  have  appeared  since  then.  This  system 
for  memorizing  the  chief  symptoms  of  our  remedies,  in- 
vented by  a student,  now  Dr.  D.  G.  Tucker,  of  Rhode 
Island,  has  simplified  and  made  convenient  the  study  of 
Materia  Medica  to  many  a student;  even  older  practi- 
tioners have  joined  in  the  instructive  pastime. 

1867. — Gross’  Comparative  Materia  Medica.  1 vol.,  royal 
octavo.  520  pp.  F.  E.  Boericke,  Philadelphia. 

The  manuscript  for  this  work,  the  fruit  of  many  years 
patient  labor  on  the  part  of  Dr.  R.  H.  Gross,  a German 
homoeopathic  physician,  was  sent  to  Dr.  Hering,  who 
undertook  as  a labor  of  love,  to  complete,  translate  and 
edit  the  same  in  this  country.  After  having  the  whole 
of  the  manuscript  copied  into  more  legible  German  by 
his  scribe,  Dr.  Hering  with  the  assistance  of  his  daughter 
Odelia,  now  Mrs.  J.  Foster  Pope,  devoted  an  entire  year 
to  the  translation  and  revision  of  the  same.  The  read- 
ing of  the  proofs,  eight  of  which  had  to  pass  under  the 
yes  of  the  reader  in  order  to  insure  the  greatest  possible 
accuracy,  was  an  arduous  task,  particularly  since  “the 
setting  in  type  of  the  manuscript  offered  such  uncommon 
difficulties  that  it  required  great  skill,  experience  and  in- 
genuity to  overcome  them.”  The  latter  named  part  of  the 
work  was  very  creditably  performed  under  the  superin- 
dence  of  Mr.  John  H.  Schwacke  foreman  of  the  book  de- 


99 


partment  in  the  printing  establishment  of  King  & Baird. 
The  work  was  not  only  a stepping  stone,  on  the  part  of 
the  publishers,  whose  edition  of  the  work  was  universally 
admired  and  commended,  to  the  publication  of  other 
large  works,  but  it  also  proved  to  be  a transition  to  more 
complete  works  on  Materia  Medica  which  have  since 
followed.  The  book  contained  about  five  hundred  com- 
parisons of  one  hundred  of  our  most  frequently  used 
medicines,  and  the  earnest  student  and  careful  practi- 
tioner have  now  a better  chance  than  they  ever  had  before 
to  obtain  a differential  knowledge  of  them.  The  book  is 
of  the  greatest  value  in  all  cases  where  the  practitioner  is 
not  perfectly  certain  of  his  choice  between  two  or  three 
highly  similar  remedies;  a single  glance  at  the  columns 
of  related  and  opposite  symptoms  will  often  decide  the 
most  important  questions  and  save  much  time  and  trouble 
in  arriving  at  a choice  of  the  prescription. 

1.  Midwifery  in  America. — Allg.  Horn.  Zeitung , vol.  lxxv. 
2.  Characteristics. — Hahn.  Monthly,  vol.  iii. 

In  the  year  1867,  Dr.  Hering  was  elected  Dean  of  the 
Hahnemann  College  and  lecturer  in  that  institution  on 
the  Institutes  of  Medicine  and  Materia  Medica.  In  the 
following  September  he  delivered  the  introductory  lecture 
to  the  course.  With  what  vigor  and  energy  he  came  to 
his  work  is  shown  in  the  following  extract  from  the 
closing  portion  of  his  address,  where  he  alluded  to  the 
year  1876,  in  which  was  to  occur  the  fiftieth  anniversary 


100 


of  his  graduation  in  medicine  and  his  seventy-sixth 
birthday. 

* * After  Napoleon  had  disturbed  the  peace  of  Europe,  and  was  finally 
beaten  in  the  battle  of  Leipzig  by  the  allied  powers,  and  banished  by  them 
to  the  Island  of  Elba,  he  returned  again  with  a large  army.  The  allies 
had  once  more  to  march  from  the  North  to  the  South.  Bliicher  was 
placed  at  the  head  as  main  commander  of  the  Prussian  army,  and  marched 
from  the  North  towards  Belgium.  Great  objections  were  raised  on  account 
of  his  age.  “ He  is  old  now  and  infirm  and  full  of  queer  notions,”  the  ob- 
jectors said.  He  was  attacked  near  Ligny  before  he  was  ready  and  was 
beaten ; his  horse  fell,  he  was  thrown  under  it,  and  was  carried  away  for 
dead.  Of  course  in  a day  he  rallied  again,  sat  on  the  back  of  another 
horse,  and  was  smoking  his  pipe  lustily. 

Napoleon  now  turned  his  whole  power  against  Wellington  who  was 
before  Waterloo.  The  Iron  Duke  stood  it  manfully  and  not  yielding  an 
inch  all  day,  kept  his  position  firm.  But  as  the  sun  turned  towards  the 
West  and  sank  deeper  in  the  horizon,  the  Duke  wrote  with  a lead  pencil 
the  order  to  his  generals  to  be  ready  to  retire  during  the  night  and  retreat 
to  another  position.  There  was  a little  cloud  seen  in  the  far  East  on  the 
horizon.  The  cloud  increased.  It  was  an  army  coming  nearer  like  a 
hailstorm,  and  the  cloud  opened,  and  cannon  balls  burst  from  its  depths 
like  hail  into  the  right  wing  of  the  French  army  and  rolled  it  up.  The 
battle  was  won.  Who  was  the  commander  of  that  army  ? Who  rolled  up 
Napoleon’s  old  guards  with  his  young  volunteers?  It  was  Bliicher,  the 
old  man  of  seventy-six. 


1868. — The  Last  Events  of  1867,  or  the  Telemicroscope  of 
Gottlieb  Juntz,  and  the  Organopathy  of  Wm.  Sharp,  M.D.,  F.R.S. 
Dedicated  to  the  young  men  of  this  country,  onr  hope,  our 
pride.  Not  written  for  incurables,  either  in  the  New  or  the 
Old  World.  (Pamphlet,  22  pp.)  Philadelphia. 


101 


This  little  work  is  of  a polemical  character,  and  it  was 
of  it  that  a friend  said  to  the  author,  “you  have  not 
only  killed  your  opponent  dead,  but  you  have  opened  his 
skull  and  shown  to  the  world  that  there  are  no  brains  in 
it.”  The  pamphlet  is  written  in  the  humorous  satirical 

vein,  but  how  much  the  writer  was  in  earnest  is  shown 

♦ 7 

by  its  closing  words. 

Kepler  said : “ If  the  Lord  had  patience  to  wait  so  many  thousand  years 
until  the  harmony  of  the  universe  was  understood  by  some  of  his  own 
images,  made  in  his  own  likeness,  shall  we,  the  poor  creatures,  1 men  of 
like  passions,’  not  have  the  patience  with  our  fellow-men  to  wait  a few 
years?  Let  us  wait ! Truth  from  heaven  will  never  perish.” 

1.  Spongia  in  heart  affections,  from  lectures  on  Materia 
Medica. — Allg.  Horn.  Zeitung,  vol.  lxxvi.  2.  Skirmishes  on 
our  Eastern  coast.  3.  The  lectures  on  Hausmann’s  book  in 
Philadelphia.  4.  Proving  of  Tetradymit. — Ibid,  vol.  lxxvii. 
5.  Homoeopathy  in  Iceland. — Ibid,  vol.  lxxviii. 

1869. — Heaven  for  Homoeopathy.  An  Historical  Document. 
Pamphlet.  5 pp.  Philadelphia. 

This  curious  piece  of  antiquity  is  taken  from  a work 
entitled  Acta  Sanctorum,  published  by  the  Roman  Catho- 
lic church  in  the  year  1658,  the  manuscript  of  which  had 
been  kept  in  Rome  since  A.D.  787,  the  time  when  it  was 
written.  The  portion  of  the  manuscript  having  a bear- 
ing on  the  law  of  similars  treats  of  the  case  of  Theodorus, 
“ who  was  suffering  from  a disease  which  he  had  con- 
tracted by  eating  noxious  food  given  to  him  by  wicked 
men,”  and  was  cured  by  the  saints  “ who,  being  power- 


102 


ful  through  a heavenly  decree,  applied  a means  of  cure 
wonderful  and  evidently  divine,  not  curing  contrary  with 
contraries , as  mortal  physicians  are  wont  to  do,  but  like  things 
by  the  use  of  like.”  The  translation  from  the  Acta  Sancto- 
rum was  made  by  the  doctor’s  friend  and  patient,  Prof. 
Geo.  Allen,  LL.D.,  professor  of  Greek  in  the  University^ 
of  Pennsylvania.  The  pamphlet  was  reprinted  in  the 
Hahnemann  Monthly,  Vol.  5. 

Annual  Meeting  of  Homoeopathic  Physicians. — AUg.  Horn. 
Zeitung,  vol.  lxxix. 

1870.  — Houatt’s  Provings  and  their  self-styled  Critics. — 

Hahnemann  Monthly,  vol.  vi. 

1871.  — American  Votes  on  the  Question : German  or  Roman 
Type?  Collected  by  Dr.  Constantine  Hering  in  Philadelphia, 
with  a few  words  in  conclusion  by  F.  I.  Frommann,  in  Jena. 
Pamphlet,  16  pp.  German.  Jena. 

Dr.  Hering  being  of  the  opinion  that  Latin  or  Roman 
letters  do  not  facilitate  the  reading  of  German  books  to 
American  and  English  students,  that  on  the  contrary, 
they  render  it  more  difficult,  published  this  pamphlet, 
and  in  support  of  his  argument  he  included  in  his  work 
letters,  substantiating  his  views,  from  the  following  emi- 
nent philologists,  professors,  doctors  of  medicine  and  men 
of  letters:  Prof.  0.  Seidensticker,  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania; Prof.  Oelschlaeger,  compiler  of  Oelschlaegers’ 


103 


German-English  dictionary ; Prof.  E.  R.  Schmidt,  histor- 
ian; Prof.  Angela,  teacher  of  the  German  language  in  the 
Philadelphia  High  School;  Prof.  J.  E.  Hilgard,  of  the 
United  States  Coast  Survey;  Dr.  I C.  Hilgard;  Dr.  Chas. 
G.  Raue,  professor  in  the  Hahnemann  College,  in  Phila- 
^ delphia;  Mr.  R.  Koradi,  of  the  firm  of  Schaefer  & Koradi, 
and  Fr.  Frommann,  the  head  of  the  German  Publishing 
House,  in  Jena.  This  belief  concerning  the  relative  mer- 
its of  German  and  English  type  is  shared  by  many  read- 
ers of  German,  who  will  unhesitatingly  say  that  it  is 
easier  for  them  to  read  German  in  its  proper  than  in  Ro- 
man type.  In  the  choice  of  German  text,  Dr.  Hering’s 
taste  was  governed  in  a large  measure  by  his  love  for 
the  Gothic  in  art,  but  he  was  also  influenced  by  his  pat- 
riotism, which  made  it  painful  for  him  to  look  upon  his 
mother  tongue  in  a foreign  dress.  His  opinions  in  re- 
gard to  a preference  in  type,  were  likewise  confirmed  in 
a practical  way,  by  the  results  obtained  by  his  friend, 
Professor  Frederick  Knorr,  teacher  of  German,  who  is 
affectionately  remembered  by  his  numerous  pupils  in 
Philadelphia.  His  plan  was  to  teach  his  pupils  first  to 
read  and  write  German  script,  afterwards  the  printed 
text.  In  this  way  they  learned  to  write  German  letters, 
besides  becoming  familiar  with  the  works  of  the  most 
diffcult  of  the  German  authors.  Dr.  Hering  never 
missed  an  opportunity,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  to 
influence  the  minds  of  his  patients  in  a way  to  improve 
and  enrich  them  with  useful  knowledge,  believing  that 


104 


a fresh  interest  awakened  in  any  useful  subject  was  a 
strong  aid  to  getting  well. 

1.  The  ant  as  a medicine.  2.  Critical  hodge-podge. — Allg. 
Horn.  Zeitung,  vol.  lxxxii.  3.  Our  invitation  to  the  Interna- 
tional Congress.  4.  Sulphur  in  Cholera. — Ibid,  vol.  lxxxiii. 
5.  Formica,  the  ant.  6.  Calcarea  phosphorica,  a resume  of 
provings  and  cures. — North.  Am.  Jour.  Horn.,  vol.  xx. 

7.  Formica  as  a remedy.  8.  History  of  the  Provings  of  Cal- 
carea phosphorica.  9.  Provings  of  Lobelia  ccerulea. — Hahn. 
Monthly,  vol.  vi.  10.  The  Great  Desideratum. — Ibid,  vol.  vii. 

1872.  — 1.  Virchow’s  Verdict. — Allg.  Horn.  Zeitung,  vol. 
lxxxiv.  2.  Seven  Notes  on  Hahnemann  and  his  “Absurdities.” 
3.  A Protest.  4.  Silicea  after  Vaccination.  5.  Critical  Re- 
marks on  Dysentery. — Hahn.  Monthly,  vol.  vii.  6.  Disease 
Germs. — Ibid,  vol.  viii. 

1873.  — Introductory  of  X.  Y.  on  taking  the  chair  as  Pro- 

fessor of  Homoeopathy  at  the  University  of  Strasburg  in  the 
year  * * *.  Pamphlet,  14  pp.  International  Horn.  Press, 

Leipzig,  German. 

This  is  a lecture  on  Paracelsus  and  Hahnemann,  in 
which  the  lecturer  addresses  an  imaginary  class  of  medical 
students  of  the  old  school,  giving  expression  to  some 
hitherto  little  known  historical  facts,  in  the  endeavor  to 
excite  an  interest  in  homoeopathic  principles  and  experi- 
ments. 


105 


1.  How  to  treat  prevailing  diseases. — North  Am.  Jour. 
Horn.,  vol.  xxi.  2.  Offensive  odors  from  the  mouth  and  their 
treatment. — Hahn.  Monthly , vol.  ix. 

Complete  Materia  Medica.  1 volume.  Boericke  & 
Tafel.  Philadelphia,  1873. 

The  collection  of  sixteen  monographs  printed  seriatim 
in  the  American  Journal  of  Homoeopathic  Materia  Medica 
was  republished  in  the  form  of  an  octavo  volume  of  700 
pages,  including  a Pathological  Index,  by  Boericke  & 
Tafel,  Philadelphia,  in  1873.  The  volume  includes  the 
complete  symptoms,  pathogenetic  and  clinical,  of  Alum, 
Carburetum  sulphuris,  Coca,  Cuprum,  Eupatorium  perfolia- 
tum,  Eupatorium  purpureum,  Formica,  Mercurius  iodatus 
rubrum,  Natrum  sulphuricum,  Nux  moschata,  Osmium,  Phy- 
tolacca decandra,  Sarsaparilla,  Spongia  tosta,  Stramonium 
and  Theridion  curassavicum. 

Of  these,  Stramonium  and  Nux  moschata  are  specimens 
of  complete  and  indefatigable  research.  In  the  case  of 
Nux  moschata  nearly  200  authorities  have  been  quoted, 
their  observations  extending  over  a space  of  more  than 
eight  centuries.  It  forms  the  most  complete  history  of 
any  drug  in  any  Materia  Medica.  On  account  of  the 
full,  comprehensive  and  comparative  arrangement  of  the 
drug  effects  entering  into  the  composition  of  this  volume 
of  Complete  Materia  Medica  it  is  in  many  respects  the 
most  instructive  ever  issued.  It  is  the  result  of  gigantic 
labor,  and  yet  forms  only  a very  small  portion  of  the 


106 


work  the  author  intended  to  do  and  would  have  done, 
could  another  lifetime  have  been  granted  him  in  which 
to  complete  what  he  had  begun. 

1874.  — 1.  Observations  on  Solar  and  Lunar  Influences  and 
their  relation  to  our  Materia  Medica.  2.  Correspondence. — 

Hahn.  Monthly , vol.  ix. 

1875.  — Mathematical  certainty. — North  Am.  Jour.  Horn., 
vol.  xxiv. 

Analytical  Therapeutics,  vol.  1,  8vo.,  352  pp.  Phila- 
delphia. 

This  first  volume  of  the  “Analytical  Therapeutics” 
was  published  under  Dr.  Hering’s  personal  supervision, 
and  was  dedicated  to  his  dear  old  friend,  Dr.  Jacob  Jeanes, 
“ the  true  Hahnemannian,  the  father  of  many  new  ideas, 
the  faithful  prover,  who  freely  bestowed  on  all  the  fruit 
of  his  researches.”  The  typographical  arrangement  and 
style  of  printing,  executed  by  the  author’s  son,  Walter  E. 
Hering,  is  a model  of  excellence.  Dr.  Hering  had  the 
work  in  anticipation  for  nearly  thirty  years,  and  next  to 
the  Materia  Medica  it  is  his  most  important  production. 
When  completed,  it  will  comprise  about  six  volumes, 
containing,  condensed  into  the  smallest  available  com- 
pass, the  chief  points  of  physiological  experiment  and 
homoeopathic  practice.  The  first  volume  contains  the 
mental  effects  as  they  have  been  observed  in  connection 


107 


with  bodily  symptoms.  Dr.  Hering  well  realized,  and 
often  declared,  that  a knowledge  of  the  combination  of 
symptoms  is  what  physicians  most  stand  in  need  of. 
In  practice  he  never  made  use  of  the  whole  range  of 
symptoms  in  any  remedy,  but  always  only  of  particular 
combinations  of  them.  Every  remedy  contains  the  in- 
dications of  a vast  variety  of  diseases.  In  this  analytical 
work,  therefore,  it  was  his  intention  to  give  to  the  busy 
practitioner  in  a comparable  form,  “the  manner  in  which 
each  drug  acts  upon  and  influences  each  organ  and  part 
of  the  body,  as  regards  the  nature,  kind  and  degree  of 
action.”  While  in  the  Materia  Medica  he  constantly 
aimed  to  perfect  and  complete  the  form  of  each  remedy 
by  synthesis,  in  this  work  he  proceeds  by  analysis  to 
give  a digest  of  the  most  essential  results  of  our  provings 
as  well  as  of  our  clinical  experience. 

A revised  edition  of  this  first  volume,  edited  by  Dr. 
Hering’s  literary  executors,  with  a more  complete  index 
prepared  by  Dr.  L.  J.  Knerr,  has  been  published  under 
the  auspices  of  the  American  Homoeopathic  Publishing 
Society  (Philadelphia,  J.  M.  Stoddard  & Co.,  1881),  under 
the  title  “Symptoms  of  the  Mind.”  The  material  for 
the  remaining  volumes  of  this  great  work  was  left  in 
available  shape  at  Dr.  Hering’s  death,  and  may  be  pub- 
lished after  the  completion  of  the  Materia  Medica. 

1876  . — On  Primary  and  Secondary  Symptoms. — North  Am. 
Jour.  Horn .,  vol.  xxv. 


108 


1877. — 1.  Our  Nosodes,  part  I.  2.  The  Desiderata  of  our 
school.  3.  Terebinthinae  oleum,  recommended  for  the  preven- 
tion and  treatment  of  malarial  and  intermittent  fevers. — North 
Am.  Jour.  Horn.,  vol.  xxvi. 

The  Condensed  Materia  Medica.  1 vol.,  8vo,  870  pp. 
Compiled  with  the  assistance  of  Drs.  Farrington  and  Korn- 
doerfer.  Dedicated  by  the  author  to  Dr.  Chas.  G.  Raue,  his 
former  pupil  and  assistant  and  for  seven  years  his  colleague  as 
professor  in  the  Hahnemann  College  of  Philadelphia.  Philadel- 
phia, Globe  Printing  House  of  Walter  E.  Hering.  Publishers, 
Boericke  & Tafel. 

In  1879  the  author,  assisted  by  Drs.  Raue,  Mohr  and 
Knerr,  issued  a more  condensed,  revised,  enlarged  and 
improved  edition  of  his  Condensed  Materia  Medica,  like- 
wise enriched  by  contributions  from  friends  in  the  pro- 
fession. Printer  and  publishers  the  same. 

It  was  Dr.  Hering’s  object  to  give  in  this  work  the 
chief  characteristics  of  the  principal  remedies  in  use,  for 
he  said : “ The  proper  mode  of  studying  the  whole  Ma- 
teria Medica  consists  in  making  one’s  self  complete^ 
master  of  a few  medicines,  and  afterwards  of  those  most 
nearly  connected  with  them.”  In  another  place  he  said : 
“And  yet  the  homoeopathic  physician  who  knows  little 
more  than  the  characteristics  of  a few  polychrest  medi- 
cines is  like  a weak  chess-player,  who  only  knows  one  or 
two  methods  of  giving  checkmate  which  he  has  learned 
from  studying  the  fag-ends  of  games  played  by  master 


109 


players,  together  with  some  few  other  inodes  which  he 
has  himself  discovered.” 

As  a text  book  for  students  the  “ Condensed  Materia 
Medica”  has  its  place,  but  the  careful  practitioner  will 
far  more  often  have  recourse  for  guidance  to  the  more 
ample  and  more  profound  “Guiding  Symptoms/’  or 
“ Analytical  Therapeutics.” 

1878.  — 1.  Our  Nosodes,  part  II.  2.  Palladium. — North  Am. 
Jour.  Horn .,  vol.  xxvii.  3.  Hahnemann’s  three  rules  concern- 
ing the  rank  of  symptoms.  4.  The  rules  of  sides. — Am.  Horn ., 
vol.  ii. 

1879.  — 1.  Origin  of  the  theory  of  primary  and  secondary 
symptoms. — North  Am.  Jour.  Horn .,  vol.  xxvii.  2.  A way 
to  become  rulers  of  the  medical  world.  3.  Correspondence  on 
topics  of  the  time. — Med.  Counsellor,  vol.  i. 

Guiding  Symptoms.  Vol.  I,  8vo,  pp.  506,  and  in  1880 
Vol.  II,  8 vo.,  506  pp.  Philadelphia.  Globe  Printing  House  of 
Walter  E.  Hering.  Published  by  the  American  Homoeopathic 
Publishing  Society.  J.  M.  Stoddart  & Co.,  Agents. 

On  this  extensive  medical  work  was  bestowed  the  best 
labor  of  Dr.  Hering’s  life.  In  a letter  to  the  British  Jour- 
nal of  Homoeopathy  on  the  subject  of  high  dilutions,  he 
says:  “All  my  labors,  all  my  meditations  and  researches 
for  more  than  twenty  years  past  (this  was  in  1847),  have 
been  expressly  directed  to  obtain  and  to  arrange  with 


110 


scientific  precision  those  peculiar  characteristic  symptoms 
which  in  practice  will  determine  us  in  our  choice  of  the 
remedy.” 

For  more  than  fifty  years,  therefore,  he  was  engaged  in 
preparing  the  material  for  this  work.  All  the  provings 
made  by  himself,  his  pupils  and  friends;  all  the  carefully 
prepared  provings  of  others  in  the  profession ; the  toxico- 
logical reports  of  trustworthy  men  in  the  old  school;  all 
his  own  clinical  observations,  as  wTell  as  those  culled  from 
books  and  journals,  were  collected  by  him,  and,  after 
being  subjected  to  a most  critical  examination,  were 
placed  in  his  collection,  which  year  by  year,  assumed 
larger  proportions.  From  this  voluminous  material, 
however,  only  the  best  was  to  be  taken  for  this  book,  only 
“the  peculiar  characteristic  symptoms  arranged  with 
scientific  precision,”  and  only  the  symptoms  of  those 
remedies  that  had  been  tested  in  practice. 

As  a basis,  the  well  known  scheme  of  Hahnemann  is 
taken.  But  this  is  much  improved  upon  by  additions 
of  new  chapters,  which  give  the  work  more  practical 
value.  “Groups  of  symptoms  as  they  appeared  in  the 
provings,  or  as  they  were  cured  at  the  bedside,  remain  as 
far  as  possible  undetached,  but  single  divisions  of  the 
symptom-group  are  quoted  ^wherever  it  is  likely  that  they 
may  be  looked  for.” 

The  admission  of  purely  clinical  symptoms  is  a feature 
of  the  book  which  the  author  vindicates  upon  the  plea 
that  “ clinical  symptoms  must  be  noted  as  well  as  those 


Ill 


obtained  from  provings,  since  a drug  cures  many  things 
which  it  cannot  produce,  although,  as  we  must  suppose, 
it  should  have  the  power  to  do  so,  for  provings  on  the 
healthy  are  confined  to  a narrower  limit,  while  diseases 
have  a wider  range  of  symptoms;  that  is,  symptoms  on  a 
larger  scale.  Produced  symptoms,  however,  are  far  more 
positive  and  reliable;  more  sharply  defined ; more  char- 
acteristic.” 

Some  of  his  ideas  of  the  manner  in  which  the  remedies 
in  the  Materia  Medica  should  be  studied  we  have  in  the 
following  quotation : 

“A  mere  acquaintance  with  the  principal  symptoms 
cannot  be  called  studying  the  remedies,  although  we 
might  make  it  the  basis  of  our  study.  The  study  of  Ma- 
teria Medica  must  be  regarded  and  dealt  with  in  exactly 
the  same  manner  as  that  of  other  natural  sciences;  in 
their  present  state  all  the  relationship  existing  among 
the  various  classes  and  orders  may  he  seen  at  a glance, 
and  the  study  of  them  is  thereby  greatly  simplified.”  It 
was  his  intention  to  bring  Materia  Medica  to  such  a pitch 
of  perfection.  He  well  understood  the  laborious  path  he 
was  treading,  but  he  followed  it  patiently  and  persever- 
ingly,  for  he  saw  light  in  the  distance.  In  one  of  his 
essays  he  says: 

As  the  progress  of  invention  facilitates  commerce  and  travel  more  and 
more,  so  the  progress  of  science  always  lightens  the  task  of  learning  what 
has  been  discovered,  and  the  same  will  be  the  case  as  regards  the  Materia 
Medica.  Until  that  time  comes  we  must  study  the  remedies  as  we  find 


112 


them ; the  time  is,  we  hope,  not  far  distant  when  we  shall  be  able  to  talk 
about  the  objects  of  our  science  in  the  same  manner  as  natural  historians 
do  of  theirs ; when,  like  them,  we  may  be  able  to  give  complete  descrip- 
tions of  these  objects,  without  touching  upon  the  unimportant  matter;  the 
time,  we  hope,  is  at  hand  when  we  shall  know  what  is  and  what  is  not 
important  in  our  Materia  Medica. 

That  he  had  cause  to  feel  proud  of  the  attainments  of 
our  school,  we  see  in  a quotation  from  his  article,  “ Mathe- 
matical Certainty,”  published  in  the  New  York  Quarterly , 
in  1875,  five  years  before  his  death.  He  wrote:  “The  pro- 
gress we  have  made  in  our  Materia  Medica  towards  a 
natural  science  is  much  greater  than  has  ever  been  the 
case  with  any  other  natural  science  in  the  same  time. 
They  all  have  ages  behind  them — we  have  our  centen- 
nial before  us  in  1890.”  And  the  additional  words:  “Let 
every  man  do  his  duty:”  This  is  what  he  tried  to  do 
from  the  beginning  when  the  determination  to  build  up 
our  Materia  Medica  became  a settled  purpose  in  his 
mind,  and  nothing  could  make  him  swerve  from  it; 
nothing  daunt  his  will : he  even  staked  existence  for  its 
fulfilment. 

He  spent  his  life  in  research  for  our  benefit.  He  pre- 
pared the  harvest  for  us  to  reap.  He  had  even  begun 
to  cut  the  ripened  grain,  and  in  the  first  and  second 
volumes,  finished  by  himself,  shows  us  how  to  bind  up 
the  sheaves.  At  the  beginning  of  the  third,  the  hand 
that  had  worked  so  long  and  untiringly  fell  nerveless, 
even  before  the  ink  had  fully  dried  on  the  page  last 
written. 


113 


The  third  volume  of  the  work  lias  since  been  finished, 
and  the  fourth  nearly  so.  To  carry  the  work  to  comple- 
tion, strictly  in  accordance  with  the  plan  of  the  architect, 
is  the  intention  of  the  workmen  employed  upon  it.  The 
work  of  arranging  and  placing  the  material  is  laborious, 
but  finds  encouragement  and  reward  in  the  prospective 
pleasure  of  seeing  the  building  when  completed  an  orna- 
ment to  medical  science,  and  of  use  to  countless  suffering 
individuals. 

1880. — During  this  year,  the  last  of  his  life,  Dr.  Hering’s 
time,  so  far  as  literary  occupation  was  concerned,  was 
devoted  almost  exclusively  to  vigorous  work  upon  his 
‘‘Guiding  Symptoms” — to  reading  and  revising  the  proofs 
of  the  volume  then  going  through  the  press,  and  to  pre- 
paring further  instalments  of  the  voluminous  manuscript 
for  the  printer. 

Being  thus  closely  employed,  his  usual  flow  of  contri- 
butions to  the  professional  journals  ceased.  One  single 
paper  only  over  his  signature  was  published  during  the 
year : a letter  to  the  editor  of  The  Medical  Counsellor , Dr. 
J.  P.  Mills,  narrating  the  wonderful  effects  of  Staphisagria 
after  an  operation  for  lithotomy,  performed  in  the  year 
1836  by  the  celebrated  old  school  surgeon,  Dr.  George 
McClellan,  then  Professor  of  Surgery  in  Jefferson  Medical 
College.  This  account  of  one  of  the  earliest  of  the  tri- 
umphs of  homoeopathy  in  this  country,  was  the  last  pro- 
duct of  Dr.  Hering’s  pen -that  appeared  in  print  while  he 
was  yet  alive. 

8 


114 


Few  men,  even  in  a literary  life-time  of  half  a century, 
have  added  to  the  world’s  store  of  knowledge  to  the  ex- 
tent that  Dr.  Hering  did ; and  still  fewer  have  been  the 
men  who,  doing  so  prodigous  an  amount  of  hard  work, 
have  done  it  so  uniformly  well.  The  motive  that  ani- 
mated him,  the  power  that  upheld  him  in  his  long  labor, 
the  purpose  for  which  he  lived,  he  himself,  indirectly, 
but  most  truly,  has  set  forth.  His  character  as  a man 
cannot  be  more  fitly  described,  nor  can  this  account  of 
his  literary  life  be  ended  more  aptly,  than  by  quoting 
these  his  noble  words,  written  in  the  year  1855,  after 
his  organization  of  the  Provers  Union,  to  encourage 
among  its  members  the  proving  of  poisonous  drugs. 
His  words  are : 

“ Let  every  true  Christian  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  the 
Great  Captain  of  his  salvation  and  1 lay  down  his  life  for  the 
brethren’ ; that  is,  let  every  true  homoeopathic  physician  ex- 
periment on  himself  as  a healthy  subject , instead  of  his  patient 
as  a diseased  one , let  him  offer  himself  a sacrifice,  give  a free- 
will offering  of  his  own  suffering,  pour  out  a part  of  his  own 
life,  to  win  the  guerdon  of  the  divine  gift  of  a more  infallible 
and  increasing  ability  to  heal  the  sick.” 


INDEX. 


Abbreviations: — A.  H.  Z.,  AUgemeine  Homceopathische  Zeitung;  Am. 
Horn .,  American  Homoeopath;  Am.  Horn.  Rev .,  American  Homoeopathic 
Review;  Brit.  Jour,  of  Horn.,  British  Journal  of  Homoeopathy  ; Cor.Blatt, 
Correspondenz-Blatt ; H.  31.,  Hahnemannian  Monthly;  Horn.  Clin.,  Jour- 
nal of  Homoeopathic  Clinics  (part  of  American  Journal  of  Homoeopathic 
Materia  Medica) ; Horn.  News,  Homoeopathic  News ; Horn.  Viertjschft., 
Homoeopathische  Vierteljahresschrift ; Int.  Horn.  Press,  Internationale 
Homceopathische  Presse ; 3Ied.  Couns.,  Medical  Counsellor ; N.  A.  J.  of  H., 
North  American  Journal  of  Homoeopathy;  Quar.  Horn.  Jour.,  Quarterly 
Homoeopathic  Journal;  St.  Ar.,  Stapf’s  Archives;  Zeit.  fiir  Horn.  Kl.,  Zeit- 
schrift  fur  Homoeopatische  Klinik. 


A Collocation  of  Essentials  to  a good  Drug  Proving.  1854.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  47. 

A Comforting  Elegy  at  the  Grave  of  Despair  of  all  Medical 
Youths  in  our  dear  Country  and  other  Nice  Places.  Phila- 
delphia, 1858. 

A Concise  View  of  the  Rise  and  Progress  of  Homoeopathic 
Medicine  ; historical  treatise.  Philadelphia,  1833. 

A Criticism  on  the  British  Repertory.  1859..  Am.  Horn.  Rev.,  v.  1. 

A Few  Well-meant  Words  to  Beginners,  on  our  Materia  Medica.  1864.  A. 
H.  Z.,  v.  71. 

A Golden  Wedding  in  Philadelphia.  1865.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  71. 

A Historical  Remark  on  Euphrasia.  1863.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  67. 

Allium  cepa.  1853.  N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  3. 

American  Drug  Provings.  Leipzig,  1857. 

American  Drug  Provings  and  Preparatory  Work  for  Constituting  Materia 
Medica  a Natural  Science.  1852.  Zeit.  fur  Horn.  Kl.,  v.  1. 

American  Provings,  advance  notes.  1856.  Zeit.  fur  Horn.  Kl.,  v.  5. 

American  Votes  on  the  Question:  German  or  Roman  Type? 
Jena.  1871. 

Anacardium  as  Anticriticum  ; No.  4 of  New  Hatchels.  Leipzig, 
1860. 


116 


Analytical  Therapeutics,  l vol.  Philadelphia,  1875. 

An  American  Protest  Against  Lutze’s  Publication  of  Hahnemann’s  Orga- 
non. 1865.  A.  H.  Z .,  v.  71. 

An  Answer  to  F.  Freiligrath’s  Epistle  to  Audubon.  Poem. 

Philadelphia,  1844. 

Anecdotes  from  Life.  1863.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  67. 

Anecdote  of  a Patient  in  Search  of  Three  Physicians  to  Agree  in  His  Case. 
Brit.  Jour,  of  Horn.,  v.  4. 

An  Essay  on  Taste  and  Smell.  1865.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  71. 

An  Example  of  Pathological  Presumption.  1865.  A.  IT.  Z.,  v.  71. 
Annual  Meeting  of  Homoeopathic  Physicians.  1869.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  79. 
Annual  Recurrences.  1852.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  43.  1853.  N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  3. 
Antipsoric  Remedies  in  Relation  to  Leprosy.  1831.  St.  Ar.,  v.  10. 

A Peal  for  the  Jubilee,  Schiller,  Shakspeare,  Humboldt.  Philadelphia,  1859. 
A Proposal  for  the  Entire  Annihilation  of  the  So-called  Homoeo- 
pathy by  a Scientific  Method;  No.  3 of  New  Hatchels. 
Leipzig,  1860. 

A Proposed  Complete  Materia  Medica,  a standard  work.  1864.  A.  H.  Z., 
v.  69 ; and  Am.  Horn.  Rev.,  v.  5. 

A Proposed  Plan  for  Exchange  of  Homceopatic  Preparations.  1845.  A. 
H.  Z.,  v.  29. 

A Protest.  1872.  H.  M.,  v.  7. 

A Protest  Against  Falsifying  History.  1853.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  46. 

A Reply  to  the  “Open  Letter  ” in  vol.  44.  1853.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  46. 

Arnica,  in  Intermittent.  1868.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  2.,  p.  210.  , 

Arsenicum  Metallicum,  Remarks  on  Proving.  1851.  N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  1. 
A Request  for  Information  from  Dr.  Eidherr.  1864.  A.  TI.  Z.,  v.  68. 

A Review  of  Kleinert’s  “ Sources  of  Physiological  Drug  Provings.”  1863. 
A.  H.  Z , v.  67. 

Arum  triphyllum  in  Scarlatina.  1868.  v.  2,  p.  273. 

A Survey  of  our  Provings,  arranged  according  to  provers ; an  historical 
summary.  1845.  A.  H.  Z , v.  31. 

A Survey  of  the  entire  Kingdom  of  Drugs.  1833.  St.  Ar.,  v.  13. 

A Warning  Against  the  Parisian  “ Lachesis.”  1863.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  67. 

A Way  to  Become  Rulers  of  the  Medical  World.  1879.  Med.  Couns.,  v.  1. 
Badiaga,  Remarks  on.  1866.  H.  M.,  v.  2. 

Baunscheidtismus  ; or,  The  Secret  Discovered.  1858.  Zeit.  fur  Horn.  Kl. 
v.  7. 

British  Repertory,  A Criticism  on  the.  1859.  Am.  Horn.  Rev.,  v.  1. 
Bromine.  1845.  St.  Ar.,  v.  20. 

Caladium  Seguinum,  A Proving.  1831.  St.  Ar.,  v.  10. 


117 


Calcarea  arsenicosa  in  Epilepsy,  a note.  1849.  Brit.  J.  of  H.,  v.  7. 
Calcarea  ostrearum.,  Case  168.  1868.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  2,  p.  184. 

Calcarea  phosphorica,  a resume  of  provings  and  cures.  1871.  N.  A.  J. 

of  H.,  v.  20.  History  of  Provings,  H.  M.,  v.  6. 

Carbo  vegetabilis,  Note  to  Case  244,  by  Goullon.  1869.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  3., 

p.  10. 

Caries  of  Teeth,  Therapeutic  Hints.  1868.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  2.,  p.  186. 
Cepa  and  Euphrasia,  Comparison.  1869.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  3.,  p.  84. 
Characteristics.  1867.  H.  M.,  v.  3. 

Characteristics,  or  Memory  Cards.  Philadelphia,  1866-67. 
Characteristics  and  Therapeutic  Hints.  1867.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  1.  1868. 

v.  2. 

Chessmoves,  A Reply  to  Roth’s  “Studies.”  1863.  Horn.  Viertjschft.,  v.  13. 
Chlorine.  1845.  St.  Ar.,  v.  20. 

Cholera,  So-called,  on  Board  of  English  Ships.  1866.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  73. 
Cholera,  Sulphur  in.  1871.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  83. 

“ Chronic  Diseases,”  Preface  to.  1845.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  29. 

Cistus  Canadensis,  Provings.  1866.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  72. 

Citation-Visitation,  Incidental  to.  1845.  A.  H.  Z .,  v.  29. 

Coca,  Practical  Remarks.  1869.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  3,  p.  142. 

Collections  of  Symptoms,  The  Importance  of  complete.  1866.  A.  H.  Z., 
v.  72. 

Complementary  Relations.  1868.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  2,  p.  210. 

Complete  Materia  Medica.  1 vol.  Philadelphia,  1873. 

Conciliatory  Criticism  upon  the  Parisian  Lachesis.  1863.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  67. 
Conium,  Case  62.  1867.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  1,  p.  68. 

Contagion  and  Miasm.  1833.  St.  Ar.,  v.  13. 

Correspondence.  1874.  H.  M.,  v.  9. 

Correspondence  on  Topics  of  the  Time.  1879.  Med.  Couns.,  v.  1. 

Cough,  Chronic,  Case  265,  Boenninghausen.  1868.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  2,  p. 
271 ; translation. 

Critical  Hodge-Podge.  1871.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  82. 

Critical  Remarks  on  Dysentery.  1872.  H.  M.,  v.  7. 

Critical  Remarks  on  the  Scientific  Communications  on  Snake  Poison. 
1861.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  63. 

Criticism  on  Case  9,  Porrigo  Decal  vans.  1867.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  1,  p.  14;  on 
Cases  16  and  17,  p.  19. 

Cycles,  Daily,  in  Diseases  and  Drug  Effects.  1851.  N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  1. 
Desideratum,  the  Great.  1871.  H.  M.,  v.  7. 

Diagnostics  and  Remedies,  the  Study  of.  1831.  St.  Ar.,  v.  10. 

Diarrhoea,  Chronic,  Case  121.  1867.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  1,  p.  123. 


118 


Digitalis  According  to  Baelir  and  Black’s  Monography.  1862.  Am.  Horn. 
Rev.,  v.  3. 

Digitalis  in  Menorrhagia.  1869.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  3,  p.  59. 

Diphtheria  Cases.  1860.  Am.  Horn.  Rev.,  v.  2. 

Disease  Germs.  1872.  H.  M.,  v.  8. 

Domestic  Physician.  1835.  First  German  edition,  Jena,  Fr.  Fromman. 
English  editions,  Philadelphia,  Boericke  & Tafel. 

Doppelmops  in  Homoeopathy,  No.  2,  New  Hatchels.  Leipzig, 
1860. 

Dose,  Repetition  of.  1833.  St.  Ar.,  v.  13. 

Drugs,  a Survey  of  the  Entire  Kingdom.  1833.  St.  Ar.,  v.  13. 

Drug  Proving,  a Collocation  of  Essentials  thereto.  1854.  A.  H.  Z .,  v.  47. 
Drugs,  Several,  their  Action  on  the  Well  and  Sick.  1834.  St.  Ar.,  v.  14. 
Drug  Symptoms,  Sifting  the.  1865.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  71  ; Am.  Horn.  Rev., 
v.  6 ; Brit.  Jour,  of  Horn.,  v.  24. 

Dysentery,  Critical  Remarks  on.  1872.  H.  M.,  v.  7. 

Eidherr,  a Request  for  Information  from.  1864.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  68. 

Elegy.  Satire.  Philadelphia,  1858. 

Epilepsy,  Calc,  arsen.  as  a Remedy.  1849.  Brit.  Jour,  of  Horn.,  v.  7. 
Essentials  to  a Good  Drug  Proving.  1854.  A.  H.*Z.,  v.  47. 

Euphrasia  and  Cepa,  Comparison.  1869.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  3,  p.  84. 
Experiment  and  Hypothesis.  1833.  St.  Ar.,  v.  13. 

Extracts  from  Letters  from  Surinam.  1828.  St.  Ar.,  v.  7. 

Falsifying  History,  a Protest  Against.  1853.  A.  H.  Z , v.  46. 

Ferrum  and  Rhus  rad.  in  Cough.  1869.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  3,  p.  84. 

“ Flugblaetter”  (Flying  Leaves),  Novelettes.  Sondershausen,  1864. 
Fluoric  Acid.  1845.  St.  Ar.,  v.  20. 

Fluoric  Acid  Cases.  1845.  St.  Ar.,  v.  3.  New  series. 

Formica  as  a Remedy.  1871.  H.  M.,  v.  6 ; A.  H.  Z.,  v.  82. 

Formica,  the  Ant.  1871.  N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  20. 

Fragmentary  Contributions  to  Materia  Medica  and  Therapeutics.  1851. 
N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  1. 

Fragmentary  Remarks  on  the  Action  of  Several  Drugs  on  the  Well  and 
Sick.  1834.  St.  Ar.,  v.  14. 

Fragmentary  Remarks  on  Study  of  Remedies  and  Diagnostics.  1831.  St. 
Ar.,  v.  10. 

Fragmentary  Reports  of  Symptoms.  1833.  St.  Ar.,  v.  13. 

Fungus  Hfematodes.  1830.  St.  Ar.,  v.  9. 

Future  Investigations,  a Guide  to.  1833.  St.  Ar.,  v.  13. 

Gelsemium  nifcidum.  1862.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  64  and  65, 

Germs,  Disease,  1872.  H,  M.,  v.  8. 


119 


Glonoine.  1849.  Quar.  Horn.  Jour.,  v.  1. 

Golden  Wedding  in  Philadelphia.  1865.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  71. 

Gross’s  Comparative  Materia  Medica.  Philadelphia,  1867. 

Gross’s  Differential  Diagnosis  of  Remedies.  1866.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  72. 

Guide  to  future  Investigations.  1833.  St.  Ar.,  v.  13. 

Gymnocladus  Canadensis,  Proving.  1851.  N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  1. 
Hahnemann’s  Analysis  of  Stapf ’s  Case,  Translation  with  Comment.  1868. 
Horn.  Clin.,  v.  2,  p.  150. 

Hahnemann  and  his  Absurdities,  Seven  Notes  on.  H.  M.,  v.  7. 
Hahnemann’s  Letter  to  Stapf  on  Fevers ; translation.  1868.  Horn.  Clin., 
v.  2,  p.  187. 

Hahnemann  in  the  Cradle.  Philadelphia,  1855. 

Hahnemann,  The  Requisites  to  a Correct  Estimate  of.  1847.  Hygea,  v.  22. 
1851.  N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v,  1. 

Hahnemann’s  Three  Rules  Concerning  the  Rank  of  Symptoms.  1865. 

H.  M.,  v.  1.  1878.  Am.  Horn.  Rev.,  v.  2. 

Hausmann’s  Book,  The  Lectures  on.  1868.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  77.  Announce- 
ment, 1867,  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  1,  p.  83. 

Headache  after  Diarrhoea,  Case  440.  1869.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  3,  p.  114. 

Heart  Affections,  Spongia  in.  1868.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  76.  1867.  Horn.  Clin., 
v.  1,  p.  133. 

Heaven  for  Homoeopathy.  Philadelphia,  1869.  H.  M.,  v.  5. 

Hepar  in  Suppuration,  Remark.  1869.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  3,  p.  21. 

Hepatic  Enlargement,  Case  307.  1869.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  3,  p.  29. 

High  Dilutions,  a Letter.  1847.  Brit.  Jour,  of  Horn  , v.  5. 

High  Potencies  of  Jenichen,  Remarks  on.  1845.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  29. 

Hints  by  which  to  Form  a Correct  Estimate  of  Hahnemann’s  Organon. 
1837.  St.  Ar.,  vol.  16. 

Homceopathic  College  and  other  Chairs,  No.  1 of  New  Hatchels. 

Leipzig,  1860. 

Homoeopathic  Hackels.  Jena.  1846. 

Homoeopathy  in  Iceland.  1868.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  78. 

Homoeopathic  Physicians,  Annual  Meeting.  1869.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  79. 
Homoeopathic  Practitioner,  What  is  Necessary  to  the  Calling.  1832. 
St.  Ar.,  v.  11. 

Homoeopathic  Preparations,  A Proposed  Plan  for  Exchange  of.  1845. 
A.  H.  Z.,  v.  29. 

Homoeopathic  Tracts  for  the  People.  Allentown,  1836. 

Hoppe,  A Reply  to  “Where  is  the  Proof?”  1861.  Horn.  Yiertjschft.,  v.  12. 
Houatt’s  Provings  and  their  Self-styled  Critics.  1870.  H.  M.,  v.  6. 

How  to  Treat  Prevailing  Diseases.  1873.  N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  21. 


120 


Hufeland’s  Latest  Remarks  on  Homoeopathy  and  its  Founder,  Fragmen- 
tary Observations.  1831.  St.  Ar.,  v.  10. 

Hydrophobia,  The  Morbid  Fear  of.  1864.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  68.  Am.  Horn. 
Rev.,  v.  5. 

Hypothesis  and  Experiment.  1833.  St.  Ar.,  v.  13. 

Iceland,  Homoeopathy  in.  1868.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  78. 

Influenza,  Epidemic.  1868.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  2,  p.  248. 

Incidental  to  Citation  Visitation.  1845.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  29. 

Intermittent,  Arnica  in.  1868.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  2,  p.  210. 

Intermittent  Fevers,  Terebintliinse  oleum,  a remedy  and  preventive.  1877. 
N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  26. 

International  Congress,  Our  Invitation  to  the.  1871.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  83. 
Introduction  to  the  American  Translation  of  Jahr’s  Symptomatology.  1851. 
A.  H.  Z.,  v.  40. 

Introduction  to  Jahr’s  Manual.  Allentown,  1838. 

Introductory  of  X.  Y,  on  Taking  the  Chair  as  Professor  of  Homoe- 
opathy at  the  University  of  Strasburg.  Int.  Horn.  Press.  Leip- 
zig, 1873. 

Jatropha  Curcas.  1851.  N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  1. 

Jenichen’s  Potencies,  Remarks  on.  1845.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  29. 

Kleinert’s  Sources  of  Drug  Provings,  a review.  1863.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  67. 
Kobalt,  An  American  Proving.  1866.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  73. 

Lachesis,  A Conciliatory  Criticism  upon  the  Parisian.  1863,  A.  H.  Z., 
v.  67. 

Lachesis  and  Theridion.  1834.  St.  Ar.,  v.  14. 

Lachesis,  A Warning  Against  the  Parisian.  1863.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  67. 
Langhammer  and  No  End.  1864.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  68. 

Lecture  Introductory  to  Course  on  Therapeutics.  1864.  A.  H.  Z , v.  71. 
Leprosy,  Homoeopathic  Treatment  of.  1830.  St.  Ar.,  v.  9. 

Leprosy,  the  Relation  of  Antipsorics.  1831.  St.  Ar.,  v.  10. 

Lithium  carbonicum,  Provings.  1863.  Horn.  Viertjschft.,  v.  14.  Am. 
Horn.  Rev.,  v.  4. 

Lobelia  coerulea,  Provings.  1871.  H.  M.,  v.  6. 

Malarial  Fevers,  Terebinthinse  oleum  as  a Remedy  and  Preventive  in. 
1877.  N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  26. 

Marginal  Notes  to  the  Materia  Medica.  1845.  St.  Ar.,  v.  3.  New  series. 
Materia  Medica,  a Natural  Science.  Preparatory  work.  1852.  Zeit.  fiir 
Horn.  Kl.,  v.  1. 

Materia  Medica,  Marginal  Notes  to.  1845.  St.  Ar.,  v.  3.  New  Series. 
Materia  Medica,  As  a Natural  Science.  1853.  N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  3. 
Materia  Medica,  The  New.  1865.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  71, 


121 


Materia  Medica,  Our.  1865.  Am.  Horn.  Rev.,  v.  6. 

Materia  Medica  and  Pathology.  1853.  N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  3. 

Materia  Medica,  Review.  1867.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  1,  p.  11 ; Remarks,  v.  1, 
p.  34. 

Materia  Medica,  the  Pathologizing  of.  1854.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  47. 

Materia  Medica,  a Proposed  Complete.  1864.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  69.  Am. 
Horn.  Rev.,  v.  5. 

Materia  Medica,  The  Superficial  and  the  Vital  in  Our.  1864.  A.  H.  Z., 
v.  69. 

Materia  Medica,  a Few  Well-meant  Words  to  Beginners.  1864.  A.  H.  Z ., 
v.  71. 

Materia  Medica  and  Therapeutics,  Fragmentary  Contributions  to.  1851. 
N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  1. 

Mathematical  Certainty.  1875.  N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  24. 

Menorrhagia,  Digitalis  in.  1869.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  3,  p.  59. 

Miasm  and  Contagion.  1833.  St.  Ar.,  v.  13. 

Midwifery  in  America.  1867.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  75. 

Misrepresentations,  Wilful.  1866.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  73. 

Moss  and  Mosquitoes.  Philadelphia,  1863. 

Myrtus  Communis.  1851.  N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  1. 

Newer  Provings.  1845.  St.  Ar.,  v.  20. 

New  Hatchels.  Leipzig,  1860. 

Nosodes.  Part  I,  1877,  N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  26 ; Part  II,  1878,  v.  27. 
Observations  on  Solar  and  Lunar  Influences  and  their  Relation  to  our 
Materia  Medica.  1874.  H.  M.,  v.  9. 

Obstetrics  (Midwifery)  in  America.  1867.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  75. 

Offensive  Odors  from  the  Mouth  and  their  Treatment.  1873.  H.  M.,  v.  9. 
On  the  Relationship  of  Plants.  1845.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  29. 

On  the  Repetition  of  the  Dose.  1833.  St.  Ar.,  v.  13. 

Organon,  Preface  to  the  First  American  Edition.  Allentown,  1836. 
Organon,  Preface  to  the  Third  American  Edition.  Philadelphia,  1849. 
Organon,  Preface  to  the  Fourth  American  Edition.  Philadelphia,  1860. 
Organon,  Hints  by  which  to  Form  a Correct  Estimate.  1837.  St.  Ar.,  v.  16. 
Organon,  a Protest  Against  Lutze’s  Publication.  1865.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  71. 
Organopathy ; or,  The  Last  Events  of  1867.  Philadelphia,  1868. 

Origin  of  the  Theory  of  Primary  and  Secondary  Symptoms.  1879.  N. 
A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  27. 

Our  Invitation  to  the  International  Congress.  1871.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  83. 

Our  Materia  Medica.  1865.  Am.  Horn.  Rev.,  v.  6. 

Our  Nosodes.  Part  I,  1877,  N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  26;  Part  II,  1878,  v.  27. 
Our  Success.  1866.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  73. 


122 


Palladium.  1878.  N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  27. 

Pathogenesis  and  Patlio-exodus.  1833.  St.  Ar.,  v.  13. 

Pathological  Anatomy  Viewed  from  its  Useless  Side.  1845.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  29. 
Pathology  and  the  Materia  Medica.  1853.  N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  3. 
Pathological  Presumption,  an  Example  of.  1865.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  71. 
Pathologists  and  Therapeuticians,  Remarks  on  their  Dispute.  1831.  St.  Ar., 
v.  10. 

Potencies  of  Jenichen,  Remarks  on.  1845.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  29. 

Practical  Remarks.  ] 867-69.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  1,  2,  3 and  4. 

Practitioner,  Successful  Homoeopathic ; What  is  Necessary  to  the  Calling. 
1832.  St.  Ar.,  v.  11. 

Preface  to  the  First  American  Edition  of  Hahnemann’s  Organon. 

Allentown,  1836. 

Preface  to  the  Third  American  Edition  of  Hahnemann's  Organon. 

Philadelphia,  1849. 

Preface  to  the  Fourth  American  Edition  of  Hahnemann’s  Or- 
ganon. Philadelphia,  1860. 

Preface  to  English  Translation  of  “ Chronic  Diseases.”  1845.  A.  H.  Z., 
v.  29. 

Preparatory  Attempt  as  a Guide  to  Future  Investigation.  1833.  St.  Ar., 
v.  13. 

Prevailing  Diseases,  How  to  Treat.  1873.  N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  21. 

Primary  and  Secondary  Symptoms.  1876.  N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  25. 

Primary  and  Secondary  Symptoms,  Origin  of  the  Theory  of.  1879.  N. 
A.  J.  of  H.,  v.27. 

Provings  of  Lithium  carbonicum.  1863.  Horn.  Viertjschft,  v.  14 ; Am. 
Horn.  Rev.,  v.  4. 

Provings,  Newer.  1845.  St  Ar.,  v.  20. 

Provings,  a Survey  Arranged  According  to  Provers.  1845.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  31. 
Psorinum  and  its  Chemical  Rescue.  1852.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  43  ; N.  A.  J.  of  H., 
v.  2. 

Psorinum,  Remarks.  1833.  St.  Ar.,  v.  13. 

Rank  of  Symptoms,  Hahnemann’s  Three  Rules.  1865.  H.  M.,  v.  1.  1878. 
Am.  Horn.,  v.  2. 

Relations,  Complementary.  1867.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  2,  p.  210. 

Relationship  of  Plants.  1845.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  29. 

Remarks  on  Badiaga.  1866.  H.  M.,  v.  2. 

Remarks  on  Jenichen’s  High  Potencies.  1845.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  29. 

Remarks,  Practical.  1867.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  1,  p.  117. 

Remedies  and  Diagnostics,  the  Study  of.  1831.  St.  Ar.,  v.  10. 
Reminiscences  of  Scarlet  Fever  Epidemics.  1845.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  29. 


123 


Repertory,  a Plea  for  a More  Complete  One.  1831.  St.  Ar.,  v.  10. 
Requisites  to  a Correct  Estimate  of  Hahnemann.  1851.  N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  1. 
Rhododendron  and  Rhus,  Diagnostic  Remarks.  1868.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  2, 
p.  247. 

Rhus  rad.  and  Ferrum  in  Cough.  1869.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  3,  p.  84;  Horn. 
Viertjschft.,  v.  14. 

Roth’s  Studies,  a Reply.  1863.  Horn.  Viertjschft.,  v.  14. 

Rules,  Hahnemann’s,  Concerning  Rank  of  Symptoms.  1865.  H.  M.,  v.  1. 

1878.  Am.  Horn.,  v.  2. 

Rule  and  Rules  Again.  1865.  H.  M.,  v.  1. 

Rules  of  Sides.  1865.  H.  M.,  v.  1.  1878.  Am.  Horn.,  v.  2. 

Sanguinaria.  1845.  St.  Ar.,  v.  20. 

Scarlatina,  Comments  on  Case  227.  1868.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  2,  p.  238. 
Scarlatina,  Comments  on  Case  293.  1869.  Horn.  Clin  , v.  3,  p.  19. 
Scarlatina,  Arum  triphyllum  Cases.  1868.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  2,  p.  273. 
Scarlet  Fever  Epidemics,  Reminiscences.  1845:  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  29. 

Scirrhus  of  Tongue,  Cases.  1868.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  2,  p.  239. 

Selenium,  Fragmentary  Proving.  1832.  St.  Ar.,  v.  12. 

Seven  Characteristics  of  Hahnemann’s  Method  of  Cure.  Tract. 
Allentown,  1836. 

Seven  Notes  on  Hahnemann  and  His  “ Absurdities.”  1872.  PI.  M.,  v.  7. 
Shibboleth,  to  What  Purpose.  1862.  Horn.  Viertjschft.,  v.  13. 

Sides,  The  Rules  of.  1865.  H.  M.,  v.  1.  1878.  Am.  Horn.,  v.  2. 

Sifting  the  Drug  Symptoms.  1865.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  71.  Am.  Horn.  Rev. 

v.  6.  Brit.  Jour,  of  Horn.,  v.  24. 

Silicea  after  Vaccination.  1872.  H.  M.,  v.  7. 

“ Similar,”  What  Do  You  Mean  By  It.  1834.  St.  Ar.,  v.  14. 

Similar,  What  is.  1845.  St.  Ar.,  v.  20. 

Skepticism.  Tract.  Allentown,  1836. 

Skirmishes  on  our  Eastern  Coast.  1868.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  77. 

Smell  and  Taste.  An  essay.  1865.  A.  H.  Z .,  v.  71. 

Snake  Poison,  Critical  Remarks.  1861.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  63. 

Snake  Poison,  First  Remarks.  1831.  St.  Ar.,  v.  10. 

Snake  Poison  as  a Therapeutic  Agent.  1834.  St.  Ar.,  v.  14. 

Snake  Poison,  The  Effects  of.  Allentown,  1837. 

Solar  and  Lunar  Influences,  Their  Relation  to  our  Materia  Medica.  1874. 
H.  M.,  v.  9. 

Song  of  the  Bell.  A parody.  Jena.  1845. 

Sore  Throat,  Case  120.  1867.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  1,  p.  122. 

Spongia  in  Heart  Affections  1868.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  76.  1867.  Horn.  Clin., 
v.  1,  p.  133. 


124 


Staphisagria  after  the  Operation  of  Lithotomy.  Correspondence  1880. 
Med.  Couns  , v.  2. 

Success,  Our.  1866.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  73. 

Suggestions  for  the  Proving  of  Drugs  on  the  Healthy.  Phila- 
delphia, 1853. 

Sulphur  in  Cholera.  1871.  A.  H.  Z , v.  83. 

Sulphur  in  Gastritis.  1869.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  3,  p.  115. 

Sulphur  in  Headache  after  Diarrhoea.  1869.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  3,  p.  114. 
Symptoms,  Fragmentary  Reports  of.  1833.  St.  Ar.,  v.  13. 

Symptoms,  The  Importance  of  Complete  Collections  of.  1866.  A.  H.  Z , 
v.  72. 

Taste  and  Smell.  An  essay.  1865.  A.  H.  Z , v.  71. 

Teeth,  Caries  of,  Therapeutic  Hints.  1868.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  2,  p,  186. 
Tellurium  Against  Trichinae.  1864.  A.  H,  Z.,  v.  49. 

Tellurium,  Provings.  1864.  Am.  Horn.  Rev.,  v.  5. 

Terebinthinae  oleum,  Recommended  for  the  Treatment  of  Malarial  and 
Intermittent  Fevers.  1877.  N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  26. 

Tetradymit,  Proving.  1868.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  77. 

The  Ant  as  a Medicine.  1871.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  82.  H.  M.,  v.  6. 
Tlierapeuticians  and  Pathologists ; Remarks  on  their  dispute.  1831. 
St.  Ar.,  v.  10. 

The  Condensed  Materia  Medica.  Philadelphia,  1877.  Second 
Edition.  1879. 

The  Controversy  Ended,  To  What  Purpose  the  Shibboleth?  1862.  Horn. 
Viertjschft.,  v.  13. 

The  Desiderata  of  our  School.  1877.  N.  A.  J.  of  H.,  v.  26. 

The  Effects  of  Snake  Poison.  Allentown,  1837. 

The  Great  Desideratum.  1871.  H.  M.,  v.  7. 

The  Guiding  Symptoms  of  our  Materia  Medica.  Philadelphia, 

1879. 

The  Homoeopathic  News.  Philadelphia,  1854,  ’55  and  ’56. 

The  Importance  of  Complete  Collections  of  Symptoms.  1866.  A.  H.  Z.. 
v.  72. 

The  Last  Events  of  1867,  or  the  Organopathy  of  Wm.  Sharp. 

Philadelphia,  1868. 

The  Lectures  on  Hausmann’s  Book.  1868.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  77.  Announce- 
ment, 1867.  Horn.  Clin , v.  1,  p.  83. 

The  Life  of  S.  Hahnemann.  Tract.  Allentown,  1836. 

The  Morbid  Fear  of  Hydrophobia.  1864.  A.  H.  Z .,  v.  68.  Am.  Horn. 
Rev.,  v.  5. 

The  Natural  Boundary.  Philadelphia,  1860. 


125 


The  New  Materia  Medica.  1865.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  71. 

The  Pathologizing  of  Materia  Medica.  1854.  A.  H.  Z.,  v.  47. 
Therapeutic  Hints  and  Characteristics.  1867-69.  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  1,  2,  3 
and  4. 

The  Requisites  to  a Correct  Estimate  of  Hahnemann.  1847.  Hygea,  v.  22. 
Theridion  Currassavicum  and  Lachesis.  1834.  St.  Ar.,  v.  14. 

The  Rules  of  Sides.  1865.  H.  M.,  y.  1.  1878.  Am.  Horn.  v.  2. 

The  So-called  Cholera  on  Board  of  English  Ships.  1866.  A.  H.  Z , v 73. 
The  Study  of  Homoeopathic  Materia  Medica.  1838.  St.  Ar.,  v 17. 

The  Superficial  and  the  Vital  in  our  Materia  Medica.  1864.  A.  H Z., 
y.  69. 

The  Voluntary  System  of  Medical  Education.  Philadelphia,  1854. 
Throat  Affections,  Therapeutic  Hints  1868.  Horn.  Clin , v.  2,  p.  175 
Trial  of  Dr.  Pelleteer.  Tract.  Allentown,  1836. 

Trichiasis,  Suggestions  1869  Horn.  Clin.,  v.  3,  p 132. 

Trichinae,  Tellurium  Against  1864.  A.  H.  Z,v.  69. 

Vaccination,  Silicea  After.  1872.  H.  M , v.  7. 

Virchow’s  Verdict.  1872.  A.  H.  Z , v.  84. 

What  Do  You  Mean  by  “Similar,”  1834.  St.  Ar  , v.  14. 

What  is  Necessary  to  the  Calling  of  a Successful  Homoeopathic  Prac- 
titioner. 1832  St.  Ar.,  v.  11. 

What  is  Similar?  Parti  1845  St.  Ar.,  v.  20.  Part  II.  1845.  St. 
Ar.,  v 3 New  Series. 

Where  is  the  Proof  to  these  Symptoms?  A Reply  to  Iloppe,  1861. 
Horn.  Viertjschft,  v.  12 

Whitlow,  Case  103.  1867.  Horn  Clin  , v.  1,  p 102. 

Wilful  Misrepresentations.  1866.  A.  H.  Z,v.  73. 

Zincum,  Hepatic  Enlargement,  Case  307.  1869.  Horn.  Clin  , v.  3,  p.  29. 


IN  MEMORIAM. 


IN  MEMORIAM. 


MEETING  OF  PHILADELPHIA  PHYSICIANS. 

T a meeting  of  the  homoeopathic  physicians  of  Phil- 


adelphia, held  at  the  Hahnemann  Medical  College, 
1105  Filbert  street,  on  Sunday  afternoon,  July  25th,  1880, 
at  five  o’clock,  to  take  action  on  the  sudden  demise  of  Dr. 
Constantine  Hering,  Dr.  John  K.  Lee  was  called  to  the 
chair,  and  on  motion,  Dr.  H.  N.  Guernsey  was  appointed 
secretary. 

The  chairman,  having  called  the  meeting  to  order,  re- 
quested Dr.  Lippe  to  state  the  object  of  the  meeting.  Dr. 
Lippe  then  spoke  as  follows  : 

Mr.  Chairman , and  Fellow-Members  of  the  Profession : — 

The  sad  event  that  has  called  us  together  on  this  occasion  is 
the  unexpected  and  sudden  death  of  our  old  and  venerable  col- 
league, Constantine  Hering.  Before  I offer  for  your  kind  con- 
sideration and  approval,  a series  of  resolutions  drawn  up  for  this 
occasion,  permit  me  to  express  my  sentiments,  and  no  doubt  the 
sentiments  of  all  those  who  have  known  our  departed  colleague 
best.  Dr.  Constantine  Hering  deservedly  and  undisputably  was 
considered  the  father  of  the  homoeopathic  school  of  medicine  in 
the  United  States.  It  is  now  almost  half  a century  since  he  came 
here,  attracted  by  the  institutions  of  the  Republic,  and  here  he 
remained  to  enjoy  for  himself  and  to  see  his  chosen  school  of 
medicine  enjoy  the  fruits  of  a Republican  form  of  government. 
Even  at  that  early  day  the  name  of  Constantine  Hering  was  well 
known  all  the  world  over,  his  contributions  to  homoeopathic  lit- 


9 


130 


erature  beginning  in  the  “Archives,”  secured  him  an  honorable 
place  among  the  foremost  standard-bearers  of  the  law  of  cure. 
Fifty  years  have  passed  by  since  this  scientist  made  his  first  ob- 
servations on  the  sick-making  properties  of  the  poison  of  Lachesis 
trigonocephalus,  and  this  observation  and  the  deductions  drawn 
from  them  as  to  its  health-restoring  properties,  would  alone  have 
made  him  what  he  was — a shining  light  among  medical  men. 
The  beginning  of  a great  work  was  then  made,  and  soon  we  find 
him  giving  us  the  first  works  on  Homoeopathy  in  the  English  lan- 
guage, while  engaged  in  teaching  the  new  healing  art  at  Allen- 
town in  this  State.  Later  we  find  him  publishing  his  “ Domes- 
tic Physician  ” as  a text-book  for  those  who  could  not  avail  them- 
selves of  the  assistance  of  the  then  few  homoeopathic  practitioners, 
a work  which  was  translated  into  almost  all  languages ; we  find  him 
a large  contributor  to  the  homoeopathic  journals,  and  especially 
defending  the  teachings  of  Hahnemann,  protesting  against  mul- 
tiplying departures  from  the  methods  of  the  Master.  Notwith- 
standing his  increasing  professional  duties,  we  find  him  contin- 
ually adding  to  the  Homoeopathic  Materia  Medica  ; his  numer- 
ous monographs  on  old  and  new  remedies  being  an  heirloom  to 
posterity,  so  that  this  worker  shall  never  be  forgotten.  We  find 
him  teaching  the  principles  and  practices  of  the  new  school  in 
private  and  in  public.  The  caller  on  him  who  earnestly  desired 
to  learn,  found  him  ever  ready  to  give  the  wished-for  information; 
we  find  his  enthusiasm  not  diminished  as  he  became  older,  his  fidel- 
ity to  our  principles  was  as  firm  as  were  the  enthusiastic  hopes  he 
entertained  for  the  perpetuation  of  our  school  of  medicine.  Always 
ready  to  advance  the  true  interests  of  Homoeopathy,  he  took  es- 
pecial pleasure  in  guiding  the  younger  members  of  the  profession, 
by  explaining  to  them  the  great  results  obtainable  for  the  cure  of 
the  sick  by  following  strictly,  honestly  and  persistently  the  rules 
and  directions  to  be  found  in  the  methods  of  Hahnemann. 

As  an  individual  who  has  known  our  departed  colleague  for 
more  than  forty  years,  who  profited  by  his  kind  instructions  and 
example,  who  with  him,  as  one  of  the  early  pioneers,  saw  the 


131 


almost  miraculous  growth  of  our  school  of  medicine,  I can  only 
faintly  express  the  grief  felt  when  so  noble  and  so  self-sacrificing 
a member  of  our  school  is  removed  from  among  us.  His  works 
will  live  after  him ; coming  generations  will  profit  by  them,  and 
like  the  present  will  honor  his  memory. 

Dr.  Lippe  then  offered  the  following  preamble  and  res- 
olutions : 


dead,  d/ad  ^./e-aAe-  c/  add  eod-edd  ad/ddop  aide/ 

addd-aMAe  S/dO'Ud-c/eddtpe  dfo  dedddodde  ^dodid  a dddaddep  ad 
e<d/e-eidd-ee/  ee.d//e.aaae  addo/  oo-d/id/oded 


oad 


■-  fd. 


addddae.  alG-edddd 


-cm 


0/ 


ed-ead, 


-c/ee^d/vp  j/edf  -/^-e  epd-eadf  '/odd.  ojf 
oio-e  dad/o  -toad  oddo/ead-ed / /a  ad  -ad  -/Jte  ^a/d/ed  -o^f 


o ad  dcd/oodf  ddd 

dddOd/ 


dd  ooadd 


Ay.y  «/ 


do  -eaddd 


oid-e.  -taddo  pod.  ad= 


.-cdddd-e 


do  -fiodd-ed'dP-y,' 

add  od/epi/a/oadd/p  add  </  do  addd-ed^/dd/d/p  c/e-uo/ee/ 
^ r ^ -add  addadaad//ip  -/adep-e  d/od-e  o-jf 

d/tdoudd/e/cpe  -eiddo/  df-y.  -a  d-^-e  dcd/o/add-^-c^,  dfo  ^ddo^ia= 
■epa/e,  -ao/uaddc-e  aide/  -c/e-u-e  Ay  P/&  -/tae  d/ead/dd^, 
-a  d/y  oj/  o-Pie  -ta^o  ac/o/eo/  daod/  dfd-eadad-ed  /o  oad  Ad, 


&t<ZpU 


ad-e ; op  odd-e  do  add-cddodda 


iddo  ouid  -a-n. 


/ 


lodpio-eofiaddtd-c 


0/  PdOdd= 


d-tc-caddd 


O'Pe-i 


■ode. 


132 


ojf  XXm  tv-X^cX  Xe  d-edt-c/e-cX  <Ui  Xdd^  XXezX 

t4t  XX-e  Xe-uXX  ojX  X$i O'ndXuddXtdde.  X^ed-m^  cXlty- 

■tzd  XXe  4td£--eXcc-€iX ^ ’ fid-ojXdddadd  XXd<ui^,X= 
^■a.'U'e  dw^Xed-e-c/  -a  ^d-e-uX  Xdd. 

C^^ed-o-dXuyeX,  (XXX-aX  XX&  X-oddd-a£.-a^i-ciXXd-c ^.Xt^d^cd-tzddd 
XXdd  -cdXy,  ddXdXX  -aXXedddX X'tA  ^Xdd-ed-ad^  •as* 

£*XX,  ■uX  44  CsX.  qXIq.;  jX-addd  Xdd  dXzXe  deddXedd-c^ 


€■  'UMXd 


Before  putting  the  question  on  these  resolutions,  the 
chair  called  for  an  expression  of  sentiment  on  the  part  of 
those  present.  After  a short  pause,  Dr.  0.  B.  Gause  was 
named  and  spoke  as  follows : 

I am  sure  the  reluctance  which  is  apparent  here  is  only  ap- 
parent. I have  no  doubt  the  majority  of  the  persons  in  the  room 
have  that  in  their  hearts  and  minds  which  they  would  like  to  say 
on  this  sad  occasion. 

I myself  had  not  as  intimate  an  acquaintance  with  Dr.  Hering 
as  many  who  are  here,  but  I was  frequently  wTith  him  during 
several  years,  in  connection  with  my  college  duties,  and  was  fre- 
quently at  his  house  enjoying  his  courtesies,  and  I am  here  to 
testify  that  I always  found  him  an  exceedingly  generous  man,  an 


133 


earnest  man,  and  a wise  man  in  the  matter  of  medical  education  ; 
and  if  I were  to  talk  a long  time  I could  not  say  more  than  to 
testify  this  much  to  the  ability,  and  earnestness,  and  wisdom  of 
the  great  man  I was  glad  to  call  my  friend. 


Dr.  John  C.  Morgan  then  being  called  upon  addressed 
the  chair,  as  follows : 

It  is  honorable  to  mankind  that  we  love  to  praise  the  dead. 
But  it  is  no  ordinary  eulogy  that  we  pass  upon  him  of  whom  we 
speak  to-day.  A personal  friend  has  been  torn  from  us;  our 
most  venerable  leader  has  departed.  Nestor  no  longer  lives. 
How  shall  we  fitly  recount  his  worth  ? And  where  begin  ? The 
magnanimous  generosity  of  Dr.  Hering  to  his  colleagues  and  pu- 
pils in  this  city  ought  not  to  be  unrecorded.  In  one  respect  he 
was  lavish — exceeding  anything  I ever  saw.  One  has  w'ell  said : 
“A  man  of  such  abundant  literary  productiveness,  and  of  such 
great  usefulness  to  the  profession,  and  to  the  interests  of  Homoeo- 
pathy, could  not  have  found  much  time  for  making  money  by 
practice.”  A large  and  select  practice  he  always  had ; and  he 
acquired  a modest  competency ; only  that.  But  I confidently 
venture  the  assertion,  that  no  homoeopathic  physician  ever  en- 
joyed intimacy  with  him,  but  he  has  been  not  only  deeply  in- 
structed, but  also  more  than  once  .or  twice  surprised  by  his 
transfer  to  him  of  valuable  cases,  and  of  excellent  families,  who 
had  applied  to  him.  The  practitioners  of  surgery  and  midwifery, 
especially,  have  reason  to  remember  the  unexampled  friendship 
of  Dr.  Hering.  Unflinching  in  devotion  to  law  and  principle ; 
merciless,  possibly,  in  denouncing  license  under  the  law  of  our 
art ; upright  and  downright  in  his  consistency ; successful  in  his 
practice ; classic  in  his  teaching ; to  these  traits  he  added  the 
humanities  which  to-day  bind  to  his  memory  that  innumerable 
host,  who,  in  all  ways,  are  the  better  and  the  happier  for  his 
living;  and  above  all,  that  phalanx  of  true  workers  who  oft- 


134 


times  filled  their  exhausted  pitchers  from  his  never-failing  foun- 
tain of  knowledge  and  encouragement. 

I thought  this  morning  of  that  unfinished  work,  “ The  Guiding 
Symptoms ; ” who  will  take  it  up  ? Who  will  take  up  any  of  the 
work  he  has  been  doing?  Upon  whom  shall  his  mantle  fall  ? May 
■we  not  pray  that  his  mantle  may  fall  upon  all  of  us,  and  shall  we 
not  all  take  up  the  work  upon  which  he  has  so  nobly  spent  his 
life  ? 

I must  refer  for  a moment  to  another  aspect  of  the  subject — 
must  allude  to  the  life-long  hostility  of  some  who  are  to-day 
reaping  where  he  has  sowed.  For  many  years  I myself  was  kept 
aloof  from  him,  whilst  practicing  Homoeopathy,  by  the  assertion 
of  some  who  professed  to  know  him,  that  he  was  dogmatic,  like 
his  master  Hahnemann ; that  he  was  visionary,  like  his  master 
Hahnemann ; that  he  was  unreliable  and  ultra,  like  his  master 
Hahnemann.  Great,  then,  was  my  surprise  when  I came  to 
know  him  for  myself. 

I thank  Providence  that  I have  lived  long  enough  to  learn 
better  of  him  and  of  his  master  Hahnemann.  I have  ever 
found  Dr.  Hering  most  pliable  to  the  force  of  sound  reason,  and 
thus  ever  open  to  conviction.  I have  never  met  a man  so  will- 
ing to  take  suggestions  from  juniors  as  was  Dr.  Hering.  I never 
met  a man  so  humbly  a learner  from  all  sources ; never  met  a 
man  in  the  homoeopathic  ranks  who  was  so  completely  en  rapport 
with  all  the  departments  of  modern  science. 

Were  there  new  discoveries  made,  who  was  so  eager  to 
grasp  them  as  Dr.  Hering  ? When  the  spectroscope  was  intro- 
duced, who  knew  it  so  soon  and  so  well  as  Dr.  Hering?  When 
Hausmann,  the  homoeopathic  professor  in  the  University  of 
Pesth,  Hungary,  published  his  great  work,  showing,  from  the 
homoeopathic  standpoint,  the  parallel  lines  of  evolution  of  both 
organic  beings  and  their  inorganic  pabulum — when,  I say,  that 
great  book,  hardly  understood  to  this  day  in  Europe  or  America, 
appeared,  wrho  introduced  it?  Who,  of  all  the  homoeopathic  pro- 
fession, took  up  that  book  and  interpreted  it  to  the  profession  ? 


135 


Who,  but  Dr.  Hering  ? In  all  these  things  Dr.  Hering  has  been 
found  in  the  very  front  rank  of  medical  and  collateral  science ; 
and  I wish  to  give  this  testimony  as  one  somewhat  intimate  with 
him.  He  was  as  far  from  being  the  dogmatic  extremist — the 
visionary  symptomist — he  has  been  represented,  as  was  possible  ; 
nay,  who  does  not  admit,  now,  that  he  was  in  the  very  front  rank 
of  the  medical  men  of  our  day  ? 

Dr.  Hering’s  influence  as  a teacher  in  Homoeopathy  is  to-day 
felt  everywhere.  An  incident  will  illustrate  it.  A very  success- 
ful physician  in  Illinois,  a graduate  of  the  Philadelphia  college, 
said  to  me  that  while  a student  he  attended  Dr.  Hering’s  private 
lectures  also — and  added,  “I  studied  general  medicine  from  a 
homoeopathic  standpoint  in  the  college ; but  I really  learned 
Homoeopathy  from  Dr.  Hering,  in  that  back  office  of  his.” 

Dr.  Hering  was  not  only,  however,  a teacher  of  men.  He 
humbled  himself  in  an  unusual  way.  His  love,  I may  say 
reverence  for  children,  was  characteristic  and  unique.  The  sim- 
plicity of  his  own  heart  found  its  counterpart  in  them.  When 
the  Homoeopathic  Hospital  Fair  was  organized  in  1869,  he  in- 
sisted that  a prominent  place  must  be  assigned  to  a “ Children’s 
Table,”  asserting  that  no  good  would  come  of  the  enterprise 
were  the  children  left  out.  He  poetically  said  that  they,  having 
lately  arrived  from  heaven,  have  the  angels  still  with  them  ; and 
that  they  are  ever  nearer  heaven  than  their  elders. 

He  had  convictions — strong  convictions,  why  not?  And  he 
felt  that  he  had  a mission  in  life ! 

It  has  been  said,  “whosoever  wishes  to  live  in  this  world  in 
comfort  and  in  quiet  let  him  beware  of  a man  with  a mission.” 
That  is  a true  saying.  Let  a man  who  wishes  to  be  at  his  ease 
keep  at  a respectful  distance  from  a man  with  a mission.  Dr. 
Hering  was  such  a man.  He  was  alive  to  the  questions  mooted, 
and  particularly  to  the  recent  departures  from  first  principles  by 
some  in  the  homoeopathic  rank.  He  had  the  convictions  that  he 
should  resist  them  to  the  utmost.  He  believed  in  his  own  mis- 
sion. Only  a few  weeks  ago  he  said  to  me,  referring  to  recent 


136 


departures  from  fundamental  Homoeopathy,  and  his  purpose  to 
defend  it,  “The  Lord  has  kept  me  alive  for  that.”  A man  with 
such  a conviction  of  his  mission  and  of  the  divine  origin  of  it, 
and  with  such  a knowledge  of  his  subject,  might  be  expected  to 
appear  dogmatic.  Coming  in  contact  with  generation  after  gen- 
eration of  dogmatic  tyros,  let  us  rather  say,  such  a man  could 
not  be  expected  to  pause  in  his  great  life-work,  to  come  down  on 
demand,  and  wipe  away  all  the  cobwebs  woven  by  their  inexpe- 
rience with  a gentle  hand.  Dr.  Hering  has  been  among  us  as  a 
teacher ! Let  us  then  revere,  for  their  great  worth,  his  teachings, 
as  we  all  do  revere  his  memory ! 

Dr.  Augustus  Korndoerfer  then  rose,  and  spoke  as 
follows : 

I scarcely  know  how  to  express  myself  on  this  occasion.  In 
fact,  I had  thought  that  I should  say  nothing,  as  being  truly 
unfitted  to  express  the  depth  of  my  feelings,  at  the  death  of  our 
old  friend,  Dr.  Hering. 

I have  been  intimately  connected  with  him  during  a decade. 
From  the  first  of  my  acquaintance  I felt  that  he  was  my  friend. 
He  had  a firm  and  an  abiding  friendship,  and  even  at  times  when 
it  seemed  as  though  he  were  not  the  friend  that  you  thought  him, 
it  was  that  he  might  do  you  good. 

I would  like,  in  addition  to  what  has  been  said,  however,  to 
speak  more  fully  of  his  great  friendship  to  the  young  practitioner. 
His  knowledge,  his  labors,  his  wondrous  store  of  information,  we 
all  of  us  know ; but  not  all  knew  how  uniformly  kind  he  was  to 
the  beginner  in  medicine.  Hours  were  all  as  minutes  to  him, 
if  he  might  help  the  young  men,  and  the  labor  was  pleasure  to 
him,  if  he  could  render  assistance  to  them.  I well  remember 
during  the  early  days  of  my  acquaintance  with  him  how  utterly 
he  abhorred  the  idea  of  keeping  a secret  from  the  profession  ; how 
earnestly  he  insisted  on  every  member  of  the  profession  making 
known,  in  season  and  out  of  season,  every  fact  which  might  tend 


137 


to  the  healing  of  the  sick,  or  rendering  assistance  in  the  slightest 
degree  to  the  suffering.  It  is  this  phase  of  his  character  which 
has  attracted  me  more  than  any  other,  for  he  showed  it  so  freely 
during  so  many  years. 

In  regard  to  his  work,  it  has  been  said  by  some,  as  intimated 
by  Dr.  Morgan,  that  his  work  was  unreliable  because  dogmatic. 
I can  only  say,  that  the  man  who  says  that,  utters  what  he  knows 
to  be  worse  than  a falsehood.  It  is  infamous!  Dr.  Hering  never 
put  his  pen  to  paper  except  where  he  had  the  fullest  authority 
for  the  truthfulness  of  what  he  wrote.  Every  word  and  line  he 
wrote  bore  not  only  the  evidence  of  having  been  taken  from  some 
authority,  but  of  being  from  his  own  authority,  because  he  ac- 
cepted the  dictum  of  no  man.  He  received  as  an  authority  no 
one,  save  that  that  authority  could  be  verified. 

It  has  been  said  by  some  that  he  made  notes  and  memoranda 
of  the  most  ridiculous  experiences  of  physicians  ; but,  as  the  doctor 
remarked  to  me  in  reference  to  this  thing,  “Yes,  I do  take  notes 
of  everything  ; a very  great  deal  of  it  I only  find  fit  for  the  waste 
basket ; but  I take  notes.  There  may  be  some  truth  in  it,  which 
the  future  only  will  reveal.”  This  exactness,  this  exactitude,  this 
slow  work,  was  simply  the  result  of  the  over-carefulness  that  char- 
acterized him — his  perfect  desire  to  give  everything  in  its  most 
perfect  shape  to  the  profession.  This  I learned  from  intimate 
acquaintance  with  him. 

He  lived  in  faith  ; in  faith  in  Homoeopathy  and  the  mission, 
the  divine  mission,  he  was  called  to  fulfill.  And  he  left  it  almost 
fulfilled.  He  left  it  with  the  conviction  that  he  could  now  leave 
it  where  it  could  be  finished  by  other  hands.  He  said  to  me  only 
a short  time  ago  that  we  had  men  left  in  the  ranks  who  could  go 
on  and  finish  now  what  he,  for  want  of  time,  could  not  complete. 

There  is  not  one  here  but  feels  his  loss,  and  will  continue  to  feel 
that  a good,  earnest,  true  man  has  been  called  from  our  midst. 

Before  resuming  his  seat,  Dr.  Korndoerfer  made  an 
apology  for  the  absence  of  Dr.  E.  A.  Farrington,  who, 


138 


owing  to  sickness  in  his  own  family,  was  detained  at 
home ; hut  who  desired  the  speaker  to  express  his  regret 
at  being  absent,  and  his  sympathy  with  the  family  of  Dr. 
Hering. 

The  chair  then  called  upon  Dr.  Bigler  to  relate  the 
circumstances  of  Dr.  Hering’s  decease.  Dr.  Bigler  there- 
upon said : 

I was  not  present  at  the  time  of  the  death,  hut  was  in  the  house 
a few  moments  after.  I can  only  tell  what  I learned  from  my 
father-in-law,  Dr.  Koch,  who  was  called  in.  When  he  arrived  Dr. 
Hering  was  already  dying  ; his  hands  and  wrists  were  cold,  though 
he  was  perfectly  conscious.  He  was  restless,  and  moved  from 
side  to  side  of  his  couch,  suffering  greatly  from  dyspnoea,  and 
breathed  his  last  very  soon,  before  Dr.  Raue,  who  was  Dr.  Her- 
ing’s regular  attendant,  came  in. 

I was  present  at  the  post-mortem  and  took  notes  for  Dr.  Thomas, 
who  could  not  be  here  to-day ; but  I will  presently  read  the 
results  of  the  examination.  The  doctor  before  his  death  seemed 
to  be  entirely  well.  The  whole  trouble  did  not  seem  to  last  more 
than  half  an  hour  from  the  time  he  was  seized  to  the  time  he  died. 
He  had,  according  to  his  custom,  taken  tea  with  his  family  in 
the  garden,  and  after  an  hour’s  spirited  conversation  went  into 
his  upper  office — his  study.  At  about  half-past  nine  o’clock 
Mrs.  Hering  heard  his  bell  ring,  and  proceeding  to  his  room 
found  him  in  the  condition  I have  described. 

The  post-mortem  was  made  by  Dr.  A.  ft.  Thomas.  The 
notes  are  as  follows : 

POST-MORTEM  EXAMINATION  BY  A.  R.  THOMAS,  M.D. 

The  post-mortem  examination  was  made  at  12  o’clock  m.,  on 
Saturday,  the  24th  day  of  July,  fourteen  hours  after  death.  There 


139 


were  present  Drs.  A.  W.  Koch,  H.  N.  Guernsey,  C.  B.  Knerr, 
W.  H.  Bigler,  J.  C.  Guernsey,  C.  Mohr,  and  C.  M.  Thomas,  of 
Philadelphia ; Dr.  J.  C.  Burgher,  of  Pittsburg  ; Dr.  J.  C.  C.  Hill, 
of  Mexico;  Mr.  Herman  Faber,  the  artist,  Mr.  A.  Oliver,  the 
embalmer,  the  undertaker,  and  assistant. 

The  body  was  found  well  developed  and  with  abundance  of 
adipose  tissue.  The  chest  was  remarkably  full  and  large. 

Upon  opening  the  cavities  of  the  body  the  lungs  were  found  to 
remain  fully  distended,  no  appreciable  collapse  taking  place. 
Extensive  adhesions  of  the  right  lung  to  the  thoracic  walls  were 
present,  which  were  at  first  supposed  to  have  interfered  with  the 
collapse,  but  the  removal  of  these  was  followed  by  no  change  in 
the  volume  of  the  lungs.  Slight  adhesions  of  the  left  lung  at 
apex.  As  the  lungs  were  lifted  from  the  thoracic  cavity  they  were 
found  extremely  light,  with  very  slight  hypostatic  congestion 
at  posterior  portions,  and  in  a condition  of  extreme  vesicular 
emphysema. 

The  heart,  moderate  in  size,  presented  a large  deposit  of  fat 
beneath  its  serous  covering,  about  the  base  and  along  the  course 
of  the  coronary  arteries.  The  cavities  contained  a small  quantity 
of  uncoagulated  blood.  The  valves  were  normal,  except  a slight 
thickening  of  the  aortic  semilunars.  The  muscular  walls  were 
firm  and  of  good  color.  The  coronary  arteries  were  distinctly 
calcified.  The  liver  was  about  normal  in  size,  yet  considerably 
congested,  and  presented  a line  of  firm  adhesion  extending  from 
the  anterior  to  the  posterior  border  to  the  right  of  the  falciform 
ligament.  The  kidneys  were  both  slightly  congested,  the  right 
gland  being  smaller  than  the  left.  The  spleen,  pancreas,  stomach, 
and  bowels  were  normal.  Large  quantities  of  fat  were  found 
within  the  omentum,  mesentery  and  around  the  kidneys. 

No  examination  was  made  of  the  brain,  it  having  been  the 
expressed  wish  of  the  family  that  the  head  should  not  be  opened. 
It  having  been  also  the  desire  of  the  family  that  the  body  be 
embalmed,  the  post-mortem  was  conducted  in  such  a manner  as  to 
divide  as  few  large  vessels  as  possible,  in  order  that  the  preserving 


140 


fluid  might  permeate  all  the  tissues.  From  the  manner  of  death 
and  from  post-mortem  appearance,  the  cause  of  death  was  con- 
sidered paralysis  of  the  heart. 

At  the  request  of  the  chair,  Dr.  J.  C.  Guernsey  then  read 
the  following  communication  from  Dr.  A.  R.  Thomas : 


Sunday,  July  2 oth,  1880. 

Dear  Doctor: 

Having  an  urgent  professional  call  to  the  country,  one  which 
will  make  it  impossible  for  me  to  be  present  at  the  meeting 
called  for  this  p.  m.,  I desire  to  take  this  method  of  expressing 
my  full  sympathy  with  any  action  which  may  be  taken  with  the 
view  of  doing  honor  to  the  memory  of  the  illustrious  and  la- 
mented deceased. 

While  all  will  admit  the  wide  influence  of  the  labors  of  Dr. 
Hering  in  the  past,  and  the  fact  that  this  influence  must  extend 
far  into  the  coming  future,  what  more  fitting  memorial  of  our 
appreciation  of  his  labors,  on  the  part  of  the  profession,  than  a 
united  and  vigorous  movement  for  securing  what  he  has  so  long 
labored  and  prepared  for,  what  this  community  and  the  country 
have  reason  to  expect  of  Philadelphia — a permanently  estab- 
lished and  large  general  hospital. 

During  the  life  of  Dr.  Hering,  the  ultimate  purpose  of  every 
act  or  thought  was  the  promotion  of  the  one  great  aim  of  his  life 
— the  development  and  dissemination  of  the  principles  of  Homoe- 
opathy. No  sacrifice  of  money,  time,  or  rest,  was  too  great  when 
required  for  this  object,  and  now,  that  the  largest  and  ripest  fruit 
of  this  labor  may  be  gathered,  there  remains  a work  for  us  to 
perform,  and  one  that  should  command  the  united  and  hearty 
co-operation  of  every  member  of  the  profession. 

Regretting  that  I am  unable  to  join  personally  in  the  action  of 
the  meeting,  I am,  Very  truly  yours, 

A.  R.  Thomas. 


141 


Dr.  Pemberton  Dudley  then  rose  and  said  : 

I feel  no  words  of  ours  can  at  all  express  what  we  feel  at  the 
loss  the  profession  and  the  world  has  sustained  in  the  death  of  * 
Dr.  Hering.  I think  and  know  that  the  homoeopathic  profession 
should  feel  to-day  very  much  as  the  passenger  feels,  away  out 
from  the  coast,  when  the  pilot  takes  leave  of  the  ship ; because 
whatever  may  have  been  the  perfection  with  which  the  law  un- 
der which  we  labor  was  developed  by  Hahnemann,  it  required 
something  more  than  Hahnemann  to  establish  the  art  and  princi- 
ples of  medicine  under  that  law  throughout  the  world.  Hahne- 
mann was  a man  of  research,  as  Hering  was,  but  Hering  was  a 
man  of  different  mould ; he  was  the  man  to  establish  the  new 
system  in  a new  world. 

The  question  is  asked,  who  will  take  Dr.  Hering’s  place?  No- 
body will  take  it!  The  world  does  not  need  another  Hering. 
Homoeopathy  does  not  need  to  be  established  a second  time  in 
America.  We  no  more  need  another  Hering  than  we  need  an- 
other Newton,  another  Kepler,  or  another  Washington  ! Homoe- 
opathy is  established  now,  and  will  go  on  doing  universal  good 
throughout  the  civilized  world. 

There  were  very  few  men,  perhaps  none,  who  could  do  the 
work  that  he  has  done.  But  there  are  other  men,  weaker  per- 
haps, who  can  take  up  the  work  where  he  has  left  it.  I believe 
there  is  a Providence  watching  over  Homoeopathy ; and  I believe 
we  should  take  the  death  of  Dr.  Hering  as  an  evidence  that  God 
watches  over  our  cause.  It  will  occur  to  all  that  the  death  of 
Dr.  Hering  fell  upon  an  anniversary — fifty-two  years  from  the 
day  when  Homoeopathy  was  first  introduced  into  the  State ; and 
his  funeral  occurs  upon  another — fifty-two  years  from  the  day 
when  he  first  secured  his  “ Lachesis.” 

But  we  have  other  evidences  that  Homoeopathy  is  going  right 
on  with  renewed  vigor.  There  is  a tendency  in  men  to  lean  on 
each  other ; and  in  order  to  strengthen  a man  he  must  be  made 
to  lean  upon  himself — to  strengthen  the  spinal  column  put  a 


142 


weight  on  the  shoulders.  I question  whether  we  have  not  been 
leaning  on  him  too  much,  and  now  that  he  is  gone,  whether  we 
will  not  feel  that  there  is  more  resting  on  us ; whether  the  rising 
generation  will  not  feel  that  there  is  a burden  resting  on  them 
that  their  predecessors  did  not  feel ; whether,  when  we  feel  that 
the  death  of  Dr.  Hering  has  severed  a link  between  us  and 
Hahnemann — cut  us  loose  from  the  time  when  there  was  no 
Homoeopathy — it  will  not  give  us  a new  impetus  that  will  carry 
us  on  to  victories  still  more  glorious  than  those  we  have  already 
achieved  ? 

Dr.  Lee,  the  chairman,  then  said : 

It  is  hardly  necessary  for  me  to  say  anything,  after  the  liberal 
expressions  already  made,  of  the  high  respect  I have  for  the 
memory  of  Dr.  Hering.  I felt,  when  the  announcement  was 
made  of  his  death,  that  truly  a great  man  had  fallen.  But  per- 
haps, as  Dr.  Dudley  has  said,  it  may  produce  a distribution  of 
labors  which  may  lead  to  good.  A superintending  Providence 
never  leaves  a work  that  needs  its  protection  ; and  I would 
merely  express  the  exhortation : let  us  try  and  imitate  the  illus- 
trious example  set  by  Dr.  Hering,  who  was  willing  to  sacrifice 
fortune,  and  reckless  of  all  personal  interests  to  further  the  cause 
of  Homoeopathy.  If  we  all  had  his  enthusiasm,  victory  would  be 
far  nearer  than  it  seems. 

Responding  to  a call,  Dr.  H.  N.  Guernsey  said  that  he 
concurred  heartily  and  fully  in  the  preamble  and  resolu- 
tions offered  by  Dr.  Lippe. 

The  question  then  being  upon  the  adoption  of  the  pre- 
amble and  resolutions,  they  were  carried  unanimously. 

Dr.  Jos.  C.  Guernsey  then  read  telegrams  from  a num- 
ber of  physicians,  in  various  parts  of  the  United  States, 


143 


expressing  the  great  loss  the  medical  profession  had  sus- 
tained in  the  death  of  Dr.  Hering. 

The  chairman  then  extended  to  the  meeting  an  invita- 
tion to  be  present  at  the  funeral  ceremonies,  and  said  : 
“ It  is  the  desire  of  the  family  that  this  meeting  shall  des- 
ignate the  pall-bearers.” 

On  motion  it  was  resolved  that  these  be  appointed  by 
the  chair,  who  then  named  the  following  gentlemen,  being 
friends  of  Dr.  Hering,  intimate  with  him  in  former  as 
well  as  in  late  years : 

PALL  BEAKERS. 

Chas.  G.  Raue,  M.D.,  Philadelphia. 

James  Kitchen,  M.D.,  “ 

Ad.  Lippe,  M.  D.,  “ 

H.  N.  Guernsey,  M.D.,  “ 

C.  Neidhard,  M.D.,  “ 

A.  W.  Koch,  M.D.,  “ 

A.  R.  Thomas,  M.D.,  “ 

J.  H.  Pulte,  M.D.,  Cincinnati. 
W.Wesselhceft,  M.D.,  Boston. 

F.  R.  McManus,  M.D.,  Baltimore. 

H.  Detwiller,  M.D.,  Easton. 

John  Romig,  M.D.,  Allentown. 

P.  P.  Wells,  M.D.,  Brooklyn. 

Edw.  Bayard,  M.D.,  New  York. 

John  F.  Gray,  M.D.,  “ 

Samuel  Lilienthal,  M.D.,  New  York. 


144 


Dr.  J.  C.  Guernsey  then  moved  the  appointment  of  a 
Memorial  Committee,  to  prepare  a pamphlet  containing 
an  account  of  the  life  and  works  of  Dr.  Hering.  He  sug- 
gested the  following  names : 

Dr.  Ad.  Lippe,  Chairman. 

Dr.  H.  N.  Guernsey,  Secretary. 

Dr.  J.  K.  Lee,  Philadelphia. 

Dr.  Edw.  Bayard,  New  York. 

Dr.  Wm.  Wesselhceft,  Boston. 

Dr.  Korndoerfer  suggested  the  propriety  of  a memorial 
meeting,  to  be  held  in  the  near  future,  where  all  who 
wished  might  give  an  expression  of  their  sentiments,  and 
those  who  could  not  attend  could  write.  He  then  moved 
that  the  committee  named  be  appointed  a committee  to 
call  such  a meeting.  This  motion  was  carried,  as  also  an 
additional  motion  to  place  the  whole  matter  in  charge 
of  the  Memorial  Committee,  as  named  above. 

The  meeting  then  adjourned. 


145 


MEETING  OF  NEW  YORK  PHYSICIANS. 

In  consequence  of  the  announcement  of  the  sudden 
demise  of  Dr.  Constantine  Hering,  a number  of  his  friends 
met  informally  at  the  house  of  Dr.  Alfred  K.  Hills,  on 
Sunday,  July  25th,  1880,  for  the  purpose  of  condolement, 
and  such  other  action  as  might  be  thought  proper  and 
fitting  to  the  occasion. 

There  were  present  Drs.  Bayard,  Burdick,  Finch,  Bauer, 
Hofmann,  Wilder,  Linsley,  Cowl,  St.  Clair  Smith,  Berg- 
haus,  Arthur  Hills,  Scherzer,  Lippe,  Wright,  Hartley, 
Brown,  Ostrom,  B.  G.  Carleton,  and  Alfred  K.  Hills.  Let- 
ters of  regret  were  received  from  Drs.  Blumenthal,  E. 
Carleton,  Jr.,  F.  J.  Nott,  Deschere,  W.  H.  White,  and 
Doughty. 

Dr.  Alfred  K.  Hills  called  the  meeting  to  order,  stated 
its  objects,  and  there  being  no  objection,  requested  Dr. 
Edward  Bayard  to  preside.  Upon  motion,  Dr.  Hills  was 
elected  secretary,  and  formally  stating  his  reasons  for  the 
action  so  hurriedly  taken,  moved  that  a committee  of  three 
be  appointed  on  resolutions,  to  which  the  president  should 
be  added  ; Drs.  Finch,  Burdick  and  Bauer  were  thus  ap- 
pointed. The  following  resolutions  were  reported  and 
adopted : 

Whereas,  The  sad  intelligence  has  reached  us  that  our  revered 
friend  and  colleague,  Dr.  Constantine  Hering,  has  passed  from  our 
midst ; therefore, 

Resolved , That  we  deeply  lament  that  he  could  not  have  been 

10 


146 


spared  to  finish  the  great  work  of  his  life,  the  “ Guiding  Symp- 
toms of  our  Materia  Medica” 

Resolved,  That  in  Dr.  Hering’s  death  we  lose  one  acknowledged 
as  first  in  his  profession,  a man  of  science,  a ripe  scholar,  a genial 
friend. 

Resolved,  That  to  the  afflicted  relatives  we  extend  our  deepest 
sympathy  and  regret. 

Resolved,  That  a copy  of  the  minutes  of  this  meeting  be  trans- 
mitted to  the  family  of  the  deceased. 

Resolved,  That  delegates  be  appointed  to  attend  the  funeral. 

The  following  delegates  were  elected : Drs.  Edward 
Bayard,  Alfred  K.  Hills,  S.  P.  Burdick,  Chas.  A.  Bacon, 
W.  I.  Ba*uer,  C.  Lippe,  L.  deV.  Wilder,  St.  Clair  Smith,  E. 
F.  Hofmann,  Wm.  Scherzer,  H.  A.  Wright,  C.  E.  Blumen- 
thal,  M.  Deschere,  W.  H.  White,  H.  I.  Ostrom,  W.  Y. 
Cowl,  Jas.  E.  Lilienthal,  M.  A.  Brinkman,  M.  W.  Noxon, 
E.  Carleton,  Jr.,  John  F.  Gray,  R.  McMurray,  F.  Frank- 
lin Smith,  and  B.  G.  Carleton. 

Adjourned. 

Attest — Alfred  K.  Hills,  Secretary. 


147 


MEETING  OF  THE  PHYSICIANS  OF  BOSTON 
AND  VICINITY. 

The  following  resolutions  were  unanimously  adopted 
at  a meeting  of  the  homoeopathic  physicians  of  Boston 
and  vicinity,  on  Monday,  July  26th,  1880  : 

Resolved , That  in  the  death  of  Dr.  Constantine  Hering,  of 
Philadelphia,  the  medical  profession  has  met  with  an  irreparable 
loss;  that  we  recognize  in  him  a man  of  unusual  scientific  attain- 
ments, accompanied  with  great  power  of  original  investigation, 
one  who  devoted  a long  and  busy  life  to  the  improvement  of 
medical  science,  and  who,  by  indomitable  energy  and  industry  in 
the  advancement  of  Homoeopathy,  has  accomplished  a work  in 
this  country  and  the  world,  which  shall  ever  redound  to  his 
honor. 

Resolved,  That  we  extend  to  his  family  and  friends  our  heart- 
felt sympathy  in  the  great  loss  they  are  called  upon  to  bear. 

I.  T.  Talbot,  1 Committee 

C.  Wesselhceft,  >-  on 

J.  B.  Bell,  ) Resolutions. 

M.  P.  Wheeler,  Sec’y. 


148 


THE  FUNERAL  SERVICES. 

The  funeral  rites  were  observed  on  the  morning  of  July 
28th,  1880. 

A large  number  of  the  relatives  and  friends,  including 
many  homoeopathic  physicians  from  other  cities  and  the 
greater  proportion  of  the  profession  of  Philadelphia,  as- 
sembled at  the  house,  where  the  services  were  conducted 
by  the  Rev.  S.  S.  Seward,  pastor  of  the  Swedenborgian 
church,  of  New  York  city. 

The  remains  wTere  placed  in  the  rear  parlor,  and,  ac- 
cording to  the  custom  of  the  Swedenborgians,  in  which 
faith  Dr.  Hering  was  a believer,  they  were  encased  in  a 
white  cloth-covered  casket  and  strewn  with  flowers.  A 
number  of  floral  tributes  placed  around  the  room  testified 
the  affection  of  friends  and  relatives,  and  the  release  from 
life  and  its  cares  was  looked  upon  more  as  an  occasion 
for  joy  rather  than  sorrow,  according  to  the  articles  of  the 
Swedenborgian  faith. 

The  services  were  opened  by  the  singing  of  Dr.  Hering’s 
favorite  hymn,  “Befiehl  du  deine  Wege,”  (“Let  all  thy 
works  be  guided  by  the  law,”)  by  a quartette  choir.  The 
Rev.  Chauncey  Giles  being  absent  from  the  city,  Rev.  S. 
S.  Seward  from  New  York  then  delivered  the  following 
address : 

On  the  first  of  January,  1800,  on  Sunday  morning,  as  the  or- 
ganist of  a church  in  a far-away  German  village  was  seated  at  his 
instrument,  word  was  brought  to  him  that  a son  and  heir  had 


149 


been  born  to  his  house.  Engaged  as  he  was,  he  took  the  only 
means  at  hand  to  express  his  joy  that  a man-child  had  been  born 
into  the  world,  and  burst  out  with  the  grand  old  German  hymn, 
“ Give  thanks  to  God.” 

It  is  now  nearly  five  days  since  that  child,  after  a most  busy 
and  active  life,  quietly  breathed  his  last  on  earth,  in  an  upper 
room  in  this  house ; and  if  we  may  believe,  as  many  of  us  do,  the 
promise  of  the  old  prophet, 

“After  two  days  He  will  revive  us ; 

In  the  third  day  He  will  raise  us  up  ; 

And  we  shall  live  in  His  sight  ” — (Hosea  vi,  2), 

if  we  may  accept  the  later  promise  of  our  Saviour,  who  Him- 
self rose  “ on  the  third  day,”  that  whither  He  has  gone  we  shall 
follow  Him  afterwards,  then  we  may  be  sure  that  long  before 
this  afar  grander  hymn  has  been  heard  in  the  spiritual  world,  in 
honor  of  the  birth  of  a man  into  spiritual  and  eternal  life. 

It  is  a matter  of  exceeding  regret  to  me  on  this  occasion,  that 
I did  not  enjoy  a personal  acquaintance  with  our  departed  and 
beloved  brother.  But  such  has  been  his  busy  and  active  life,  since 
I have  known  him  by  reputation,  both  as  a physician  and  mem- 
ber of  the  church  of  his  and  my  adoption,  I have  always  felt  that 
any  advances  in  that  direction  would  be  improper  on  my  part, 
and  a return  impossible  on  his.  I regret  it,  because  it  is  impos- 
sible for  me  to  speak  with  the  same  intelligence  and  warmth  that 
I could  do  if  I had  enjoyed  more  friendly  relations  with  him,  and 
more  especially  that  most  intimate  and  sacred  relation  which  ob- 
tains between  pastor  and  friend. 

It  must  be  only  evident  to  every  candid  and  thinking  man,  that 
if  we  could  understand  the  relation  between  this  world  and  the 
next — if  we  could  clearly  and  rationally  perceive,  in  other  words 
— why  we  are  born  first  in  this  world,  to  live  here  a few  short 
years,  and  then  to  be  transported  by  what  we  call  death  to  the 
other  world,  there  to  live  to  eternity,  it  would  go  far  both  to  con- 
sole us  for  our  own  loss,  and  to  remove  our  fears  for  our  departed 


150 


friends.  Nor  is  the  truth  in  this  case  far  distant.  Like  every 
other  truth — like  the  great  medical  truth,  to  the  promulgation 
of  which  our  dear  brother  devoted  his  life — it  lies  at  our  very 
door.  The  facts  of  the  case  suggest  the  solution  of  the  problem. 
The  facts  are  that  we  are  born  in  this  world,  we  die,  and  pass  on 
to  the  spiritual  world.  The  very  fact,  therefore,  that  this  life 
precedes  the  other  is  prima  facie  evidence  that  it  is  intended,  in 
some  way,  as  a preparation  for  the  other,  and  that  the  death  which 
introduces  to  the  latter  is  but  a necessary  step  in  the  develop- 
ment of  our  life.  But  in  order  to  understand  the  relations  of  this 
life  to  the  other,  it  is  necessary  to  know  something  of  our  rela- 
tions to  the  Lord.  The  Lord  is  the  only  source  of  love,  or,  what 
is  the  same  thing,  of  life.  He  alone  has  life  in  Himself.  All 
other  life,  whether  that  of  angels  or  men,  is  derived  from  Him, 
moment  by  moment.  All  the  life  we  enjoy  to-day  is  due  to  a 
direct  and  constant  influx  from  Him ; and  if  that  influx  should 
be  cut  off  we  should  cease  to  exist,  as  a ray  of  light  ceases  to  exist 
as  soon  as  its  connexion  with  the  sun  is  interrupted.  But  the 
Lord  not  only  gives  us  life ; He  gives  it  to  us  in  such  a manner 
that  it  may  be  our  life ; or,  in  other  words,  ,in  such  a manner  that 
we  may  receive  and  use  it  as  if  it  were  absolutely  our  own.  For 
this  purpose  He  created  us  in  this  world,  on  the  natural  plane, 
so  far  removed  from  His  immediate  presence  that  we  can  receive 
and  enjoy  the  influx  of  life  from  Him,  without  being  directly  con- 
scious of  the  infinite  source  from  which  it  comes.  This  could  not 
be  the  case  in  the  other  world.  Some  of  the  angels,  we  are  told, 
“ behold  His  face.”  They  are  all  near  Him,  so  near  that  they 
can  at  times  perceive  the  influx  of  His  love  in  their  hearts,  as 
we  sometimes  feel  the  effect  of  the  sun’s  warmth  in  our  bodies. 
Hence  it  was  a part  of  the  Divine  economy  from  the  beginning, 
to  create  man  in  this  world,  where,  in  the  enjoyment  of  perfect 
freedom  and  rationality,  he  could  form  a character  of  his  own, 
capable  of  receiving  the  influx  of  the  Divine  life  to  all  eternity  ; 
and  when  this  was  accomplished,  to  transform  him  to  the  other 
world  by  the  gate  of  death.  This  would  have  been  the  case  if 


151 


sin  had  never  entered  into  the  world,  and  man  had  never  fallen. 
The  death  that  was  brought  into  the  world  by  sin,  was  the  death, 
not  of  the  body,  but  of  the  soul.  If  the  first  race  of  men  had  not 
sinned  they 'would  have  died  as  to  the  natural  body,  just  as  we 
do  now ; except  that  their  lives  would  have  been  peaceful  and 
free  from  hereditary  taint,  and  their  deaths  quiet  and  pleasant, 
like  one  who  lies  down  to  pleasant  slumbers.  Now  that  this  is 
the  truth  with  regard  to  this  life,  we  know  by  experience.  W e 
know,  as  a matter  of  theory,  that  we  receive  all  the  life  we  enjoy 
from  the  Lord,  moment  by  moment.  But  we  know,  also,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  that  we  use  our  life  as  if  it  were  absolutely  our 
own  and  self-derived  ; and  it  is  in  view  of  this  grand  but  simple 
truth  that  we  find  the  relation  of  this  world  to  the  other  so  often 
alluded  to  in  the  sacred  scriptures.  “ He  that  confesses  me  before 
men,  him  will  I also  confess  before  the  angels  in  heaven  ; and  he 
that  denieth  Me  before  men,  him  will  I also  deny  before  My 
Father  and  the  angels.’’  “ He  that  is  faithful  in  that  which  is 
least,” — that  is,  the  lesser  things  of  this  world,  “ is  faithful  also 
in  much,” — that  is,  in  the  greater  things  of  the  other  world  ; “and 
he  that  is  unjust  in  the  least,  is  unjust  also  in  much.”  And  be- 
cause the  Lord  removes  men  far  away,  in  the  beginning  of  their 
immortal  career,  by  creating  them  in  the  natural  world,  it  is  said, 
in  the  parable  of  the  talents,  that  after  he  had  given  to  one  ten, 
to  another  five,  and  to  another  two,  he  “ went  into  a far  country  ; ” 
and  that  afterwards,  when  he  came  to  reckon  with  them,  he  said 
to  those  who  had  faithfully  used  the  talents  he  had  bestowed  upon 
them,  “ Well  done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servant,  thou  hast  been 
faithful  over  a few  things,  I will  make  thee  ruler  over  many 
things  ; enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord.” 

But  we  have  not  time  to  amplify  the  subject,  though  it  might 
be  done  to  an  almost  unlimited  extent ; nor  is  it  necessary.  Suffi- 
cient has  been  said  to  answer  the  purpose  of  this  occasion.  For 
if  this  doctrine  is  true,  it  teaches  us  that  death — I mean  the  death 
of  the  body — is  a blessing,  instead  of  a curse ; that  it  was  not 
brought  into  the  world  by  sin,  but  would  have  taken  place  just 


152 


the  same  if  man  had  never  fallen  ; that  it  is  not  an  interruption, 
or  partial  defeat  of  the  purposes  of  Divine  providence,  but  an  or- 
derly step  in  the  development  of  human  life ; that  it  is  not  in  any 
sense  a judgment  upon  man  for  his  sins,  but  in  the  case  of  every 
well-disposed  person,  the  crown  of  his  life,  the  door  by  which  he 
is  admitted  to  his  everlasting  reward. 

It  seems  to  me,  dear  friends,  that  this  simple  thought  affords  us 
especial  consolation  on  this  occasion.  It  teaches  us,  in  the  first 
place,  that  the  great  change  which  has  come  to  our  dear  friend, 
is  not  an  end,  nor  even  an  interruption,  but  rather  an  enlarge- 
ment of  his  immortal  career ; and  such  being  the  case,  it  leaves 
us  nothing  to  mourn  in  his  behalf.  When  one  of  our  children, 
after  long  years  of  painful  study  and  preparation,  graduates  from 
the  university  where  he  has  matriculated,  into  the  broader  arena 
of  the  world  around  him,  we  call  the  event  the  “ commencement,” 
and  not  the  end  of  his  course,  and  instead  of  mourning  over  it, 
celebrate  the  occasion  with  joyful  ceremonies.  So  it  seems  to  us, 
that  now  our  dear  departed  brother  has  graduated  from  the  world, 
which  is  the  seminary  of  heaven,  into  heaven  itself,  after  a longer 
and  far  more  useful  life,  a fuller  preparation  than  often  falls  to 
the  lot  of  man,  it  is  an  occasion  of  deep  gratitude  and  thankful- 
ness on  his  account,  rather  than  of  sorrow  or  regret  on  ours. 

But  this  will  appear  the  more  patent  to  us  if  we  will  review 
for  a moment,  in  the  light  of  this  truth,  the  busy  life  that  has 
now  been  ended.  To  do  this  it  will  be  necessary  to  glance  for  a 
moment  at  the  work  in  which  he  has  been  engaged.  If  I may 
speak  as  a layman  of  the  system  of  medical  practice  of  wThich  he 
was  the  foremost  exponent,  I do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  it  seems 
to  me  one  of  the  greatest  blessings  vouchsafed  to  the  human  race, 
even  in  this  age  of  marvels.  Indeed,  I believe  it  stands  second 
to  but  one  other — to  the  revelation  of  the  doctrines  of  that  church 
of  which  our  beloved  brother  was  a member,  and  which,  though 
little  known  to  the  world  as  such,  are  nevertheless  spreading 
themselves  throughout  the  earth,  and  modifying  and  uplifting 
every  other  system  of  religious  truth  of  which  we  have  any  knowl- 


153 


edge.  Nay,  I may  run  a little  extravagant,  but  I believe  that  these 
two  discoveries  are  intended  in  the  divine  providence  of  the  Lord  to 
go  hand  in  hand ; the  one  to  do  on  the  natural  plane,  a work  cor- 
responding to  that  which  the  other  is  to  do  on  the  spiritual.  For, 
as  I believe  that  the  doctrines  of  the  New  Jerusalem  Church  con- 
tain within  themselves  those  traits  which  are  capable  of  removing, 
by  slow  degrees,  the  hereditary  evils  which  have  been  accumulat- 
ing for  ages  in  the  human  soul,  so  it  seems  to  me  that  the  great 
law  which  lies  at  the  foundation  of  homoeopathic  practice,  if  faith- 
fully applied,  will  gradually  remove  the  hereditary  tendency  to 
disease  in  the  human  body ; and  thus  that  the  operation  of  both 
taken  together,  will  bring  back  to  man,  by  a process  necessarily 
slow  and  painful,  but  nevertheless  sure  and  certain,  the  pristine 
state  of  innocence  and  purity  he  enjoyed  in  the  beginning,  and 
restore  the  Paradise  which  man  has  lost  by  his  evils. 

Now,  in  the  work  of  establishing  this  system  of  medicine,  Dr. 
Constantine  Hering  took  an  early  and  prominent  part.  He  went 
into  it  when  it  was  little  known,  and  its  practitioners  few  in  num- 
ber, subjected  to  misunderstanding  and  contumely,  and  almost 
social  ostracism. . Next  to  Hahnemann  himself  he  was  its  most 
devoted  exponent,  especially  in  this  country.  He  consecrated  all 
his  energies,  not  only  to  the  practice  but  to  the  teaching,  and  not 
only  to  the  teaching,  but  to  the  development  of  this  system  ; and 
left  a name  which,  if  not  as  widely  known  outside  of  professional 
circles  as  it  deserved  to  be,  will  be  more  known  as  the  years  go 
by.  The  result  is  the  most  wonderful  revolution  in  medical  science 
that  the  world  has  ever  witnessed,  the  beneficent  fruits  of  which 
it  is  impossible,  as  yet,  to  estimate. 

But  I should  do  great  injustice  to  the  character  of  him,  in  honor 
of  whose  memory  we  are  gathered  here  to-day,  if  I should  rest  his 
laurels  upon  the  work  he  accomplished.  It  was  not  so  much  what 
he  did,  as  the  spirit  in  which  he  did  it,  that  glorified  his  career. 
A man  may  accomplish  more  prodigious  results  than  he  did,  and 
yet  not  be  a great  man  in  the  true  sense  of  the  term.  But  this 
cannot  be  said  of  Dr.  Hering.  The  work  he  did,  remarkable  as 


154 


it  was,  was  of  little  importance  in  comparison  with  the  high 
principles  he  brought  to  bear  in  doing  it.  It  was  the  simple  in- 
tegrity— wholeness — of  his  character  that  led  him  to  give  up  the 
old  practice  in  the  beginning.  The  same  fidelity  to  truth  led 
him  afterwards  to  turn  his  back  upon  kingly  favors  rather  than 
give  up,  even  temporarily,  his  convictions.  And  all  through  his 
long  and  varied  life,  it  was  this  lofty  devotion  to  principle  that 
made  him  true,  not  only  to  the  system,  but  to  the  highest  and 
best  interpretations  of  the  system,  and  enabled  him  to  imbue, 
with  something  of  his  own  faith,  all  those  with  whom  he  was 
associated.  He  lived  and  labored  for  the  cause ; not  for  success, 
nor  popularity,  nor  even  renown.  Never  was  priest  or  mission- 
ary more  unselfishly  devoted  to  a noble  calling,  than  he  to  main- 
tenance of  the  great  idea  of  Homoeopathy.  Nor  was  this  due 
merely  to  the  honesty  and  earnestness  of  his  character.  It  was 
due  more,  perhaps,  than  he  was  conscious  of  himself,  to  a deep 
and  strong  religious  faith ; a faith,  not  merely  in  a Divine  Being 
or  Power  who  created  and  preserved  the  universe,  but  in  a per- 
sonal and  loving  God,  who  yearns  over  him  and  all  men,  and 
who  loves  nothing  so  much  as  to  inspire  them  with  lofty  purposes 
for  the  good  of  their  fellow-men. 

But  Dr.  Hering  was  not  by  any  means  a one-sided  man.  On 
the  contrary,  his  affections  went  out  in  sympathy  toward  every 
good  cause.  He  fulfilled  all  the  duties  of  life  with  something  of 
the  same  devotion  he  applied  in  his  professional  labors.  He  was 
a faithful  and  tender  husband ; a kind  and  affectionate  father ; a 
true  and  steadfast  friend  ; a lover  of  his  country ; an  earnest  ad- 
mirer of  everything  that  was  true  in  science  and  beautiful  in  art; 
one  of  the  most  perfect  and  completely  rounded  characters  which 
it  is  our  good  fortune  to  meet  in  this  world. 

And  now,  in  conclusion,  let  us  put  this  and  that  together — 
what  we  have  learned  with  regard  to  the  relation  of  this  life  to 
the  other,  with  what  we  know  of  his  character  and  aims.  If  it  is 
true,  as  we  have  said,  that  this  life  is  a preparation  for  the  other, 
then  his  preparation  has  been  more  complete  than  that  of  most 


155 


men.  His  life  has  been  a long  and  exceedingly  active  one.  He 
has  assumed  and  discharged  all  the  responsibilities  which  usually 
fall  to  men  in  this  world.  In  all  this  he  has  been  actuated  by 
lofty  and  noble  principles,  and  inspired  by  a firm  and  consistent 
faith  in  the  one  God,  the  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  And 
now  that  death  has  come,  it  comes  to  him,  not  as  a dread  de- 
stroyer, but  as  a loving  friend,  to  introduce  him  to  his  final  re- 
ward. In  view  of  all  these  things,  who  is  there  of  us  here — who 
among  his  professional  associates,  who  among  the  thousands  who 
have  received  healing  at  his  hands,  who  even  in  his  immediate 
family — who  that  would  call  him  back  again  if  he  could ; who 
that  can  find  it  in  his  heart  to  do  anything  but  rejoice  that  his 
long  and  active  life  has  been  crowned  by  such  a quiet  and  peace- 
ful death,  and  that  he  has  at  last  entered  upon  the  reward  of  his 
earthly  labors.  For  him  the  life  that  now  is  has  subserved  its 
purpose.  By  the  exercise,  in  noble  undertakings  and  for  praise- 
worthy purposes,  of  his  great  powers  here,  he  has  gained  a spiritual 
stature  as  robust  and  symmetrical  as  his  physical  stature  was  beau- 
tiful and  imposing ; and  now7  death  has  come,  not  to  claim  him  as 
his  own,  but  to  introduce  him  into  the  free,  and  joyous,  and  never- 
ending  exercise  of  those  powers,  in  the  more  immediate  presence 
of  the  Master,  in  the  spiritual  world. 

But  this  is  not  all.  Not  only  does  this  line  of  thought,  if  true, 
go  far  to  remove  our  doubts  and  fears  for  our  departed  friends; 
it  affords  ample  consolation  and  encouragement  to  those  who  are 
left  behind.  Far  be  it  from  me  to  choke  one  single  tear  that 
may  be  shed  upon  this  grave.  The  natural  affections — of  a wife 
for  a husband,  and  a husband  for  his  wife,  of  a parent  for  his 
child  and  a child  for  his  parent,  and  of  a friend  for  a friend — 
are  right  and  proper.  They  were  implanted  in  our  hearts  by 
the  Lord  Himself  for  a good  purpose.  Without  them  this  w7orld 
would  be  a wilderness,  full  of  enmity  and  discord.  By  means  of 
them  we  are  drawm  together  by  indissoluble  bonds,  and  the  most 
sacred  and  tender  relations  made  possible.  It  cannot  be  ex- 
pected that  such  affections  can  be  overcome  in  a moment.  The 


156 


Lord  Himself  does  not  require  it  at  our  hands.  “ He  knoweth 
our  frame ; He  remeinbereth  that  we  are  dust.”  Nevertheless 
it  should  be  our  effort,  even  in  the  midst  of  our  deepest  sorrows, 
to  look  up  ; not  to  seek  consolation  in  forgetfulness,  but  to  follow 
our  departed  friends,  in  affection  and  thought,  to  the  higher  and 
better  world  to  which  they  have  gone.  And  it  will  help  us  to  do 
this  to  remember  that  this  life  is  but  a preparation  for  the  other, 
and  that  every  circumstance  by  which  we  are  surrounded  here 
is  intended,  if  we  will  take  the  right  advantage  of  it,  to  conduce 
to  our  happiness  there.  Nor  in  the  meantime,  before  we  can  join 
our  loved  ones  on  the  other  side,  need  we  give  up  to  despair. 
That  love  for  them,  which  made  up  so  great  a proportion  of  our 
life,  and  which  now  seems  as  if  it  must  die  out  of  our  hearts  for 
want  of  an  object,  need  not  cease  its  outward  flow  for  a moment. 
On  the  contrary  we  can  love  them  more  and  more  unselfishly 
now  than  we  ever  could  before.  While  they  were  yet  with  us 
there  was  more  or  less  of  the  taint  of  selfishness  in  all  that  we 
did  for  them,  because  it  could  not  fail  to  meet  with  at  least  the 
reward  of  their  approval.  But  now  we  can  do  what  we  know 
they  would  have  us  do,  and  be  what  we  know  they  would 
desire  us  to  be,  without  the  possibility  of  any  other  reward 
except  such  as  is  to  be  found  in  doing  good  for  its  own  sake ; 
and  thus  we  can  love  them  with  a purer  and  more  spiritual 
affection  than  while  they  were  yet  present  with  us  on  earth. 
Let  us,  therefore,  try  to  find  consolation  for  our  great  bereave- 
ment in  these  thoughts.  Let  us  no  longer  selfishly  mourn  for 
our  departed  brother,  knowing  that  the  change  which  has  come 
to  him  is  but  an  orderly  step  in  the  development  of  his  life,  and 
that  his  preparation  for  it  has  been  all  that  our  fondest  desires 
could  ask.  Let  us  not  give  up  to  doubt  and  despair,  but  let  us 
follow  him  in  thought  into  that  brighter  world  whither  he  has 
gone.  Let  the  lesson  of  his  life  reflect  a clearer  and  stronger 
light  back  upon  our  own,  teaching  us  the  meaning  of  that  which 
now  is  and  the  important  bearing  of  the  things  which  surround 
us  here  upon  our  state  hereafter.  In  the  meantime,  let  not  our 


157 


love  for  him  be  choked  in  the  slightest  degree ; but  let  it  find  a 
fuller  expression  and  exercise,  if  we  are  his  professional  friends, 
in  greater  devotion  to  the  cause  he  had  at  heart ; and  if  we  be- 
long to  his  immediate  family,  in  realizing,  as  far  as  possible,  his 
tender  wishes  in  our  behalf. 

At  the  conclusion  of  Mr.  Seward’s  address  the  choir 
sang  a hymn  composed  by  K.  E.  Hering,  a brother  of  the 
deceased,  entitled,  “ At  the  Grave,”  and  at  its  close  the 
casket  was  carried  by  the  selected  pall-bearers  to  the 
hearse  in  waiting,  and  then  conveyed  to  North  Laurel 
Hill  Cemetery.  Here  the  cortege  was  received  by  the 
members  of  Concordia  and  Ssengerbund  singing  socie- 
ties, who  united  in  singing  hymns  during  the  interment, 
which  was  very  impressive,  scarcely  a dry  eye  being  seen 
among  the  numerous  persons  surrounding  the  place  of 
burial. 

As  the  dull  thud  of  mother  earth  was  heard,  shutting 
away  from  mortal  sight  the  remains  of  the  departed,  the 
relatives  and  friends  slowly  and  sadly  wended  their  way 
homeward,  feeling  bereft  of  as  sincere  a friend  as  ever 
lived.  L)rs.  W.  B.  Trites,  J.  C.  Guernsey,  and  C.  Mohr 
remained  until  the  grave  had  been  filled,  and  after  pay- 
ing a last  tribute  of  respect  and  affection,  by  placing  on 
the  new-made  grave  the  floral  devices  stricken  hearts  had 
lovingly  tendered,  they  too  proceeded  homeward,  leaving 
all  that  was  mortal  of  Constantine  Hering  to  the  watchful 
eye  of  his  Creator. 


158 


MEMORIAL  MEETINGS. 

The  committee  appointed  at  the  meeting  of  the  homoe- 
opathic physicians  held  in  Philadelphia  on  Sunday  after- 
noon, July  25th,  1880,  met  at  the  call  of  its  chairman, 
Dr.  Ad.  Lippe,  and  resolved  to  request  the  holding  of 
memorial  meetings  on  Sunday  evening,  October  10th, 
1880,  in  all  cities  of  the  world  where  homoeopathic  prac- 
titioners are  to  be  found.  Pursuant  to  this  request,  meet- 
ings wrere  held,  but  not  all  on  the  same  day,  that  being 
found  impracticable.  The  proceedings  of  these  several 
meetings  are  here  published  in  the  chronological  order 
of  their  occurrence. 


ONONDAGA  COUNTY  HOMOEOPATHIC  MEDICAL 
SOCIETY. 

A meeting  of  above  named  Society  was  held  in  Syra- 
cuse, N.  Y.,  August  3d,  1880,  at  which  were  present  Dr. 
J.  R.  Long,  President,  Dr.  C.  D.  Hale,  Secretary,  and 
seventeen  of  its  thirty  members. 

The  president,  in  a few  appropriate  remarks,  announced 
the  decease  of  Dr.  C.  Hering,  of  Philadelphia.  On  mo- 
tion, the  president  appointed  a committee  of  three,  con- 
sisting of  Drs.  Harris,  Jennings  and  Seward,  to  prepare 
suitable  resolutions  in  reference  thereto. 

The  committee,  in  due  course,  reported  the  following: 


159 


Constantine  Hering  departed  this  life  the  23d  of  last  month, 
at  his  home  in  Philadelphia.  He  has  fallen  full  of  years 
and  full  of  honors.  For  more  than  fifty  years  his  services  to 
Homoeopathy  have  been  so  unremitting,  so  unselfish,  and  so 
eminent  that  it  is  a duty  to  place  a memorial  to  him  upon  our 
minutes.  Oschatz,  in  Saxony,  has  the  honor  of  being  the  place 
of  his  birth,  which  occurred  January  1st,  1800.  The  University 
of  Leipsic  was  his  Alma  Mater.  Such  was  his  standing  while 
yet  an  undergraduate  that  he  was  selected  to  write  a work 
against  the  system  of  Hahnemann.  He  entered  upon  his  task 
with  undoubting  zeal,  but  his  investigations  led  him  to  adopt 
the  new  faith.  March  27th,  1827,  he  received  the  degree  of  M.  F>. 
from  the  University  of  Wurzburg.  His  thesis  was  entitled 
“ He  Medicina  Futura.”  In  it  he  vindicated  Homoeopathy  “ con 
amore”  He  came  to  Philadelphia  in  1833.  He  assisted  in 
establishing  the  school  at  Allentown,  Pa.,  and  became  one  of  its 
teachers.  It  was  the  first  school  opened  anywhere  in  the  inter- 
ests of  Homoeopathy.  In  1846  he  took  the  chair  of  Materia 
Medica  in  the  first  Homoeopathic  College  in  Philadelphia.  He 
was  one  of  the  originators  of  the  American  Institute  of  Homoeo- 
pathy, itself  the  oldest  national  medical  society  in  the  United 
States,  and  was  chosen  its  first  President.  He  was  a voluminous 
author.  Many  of  his  works  have  been  translated  into  foreign 
languages,  and  their  worth  will  ensure  their  survival.  The  in- 
dustry of  the  man  is  represented  in  his  study,  three  sides  of 
which  from  floor  to  ceiling  are  lined  with  manuscripts  from  his 
prolific  pen.  Gifted  with  intellectual  strength  and  with  rare 
powers  of  discernment,  he  knew  how  to  gather  and  classify  facts 
and  formulate  their  general  laws.  His  varied  and  accurate 
learning,  his  tireless  industry,  his  genius  for  observation,  and 
his  single-hearted  devotion  to  medical  science  fitted  him  to  be 
a master  workman  in  our  school.  He  was  its  Coryphaeus.  His 
death  creates  a large  void  which  it  will  not  be  easy  to  fill. 

We  join  in  the  general  grief  over  the  heavy  loss,  and  we  ten- 
der to  the  bereaved  family  our  condolence  and  sympathy. 


160 


The  report  was  adopted,  and  on  motion  it  was  resolved 
to  send  to  the  family  of  deceased  a notice  of  the  action  of 
the  Society,  duly  authenticated. 


HOMOEOPATHIC  MEDICAL  SOCIETY  OF 
NORTHERN  NEW  YORK. 

The  Homoeopathic  Medical  Society  of  Northern  New 
York  met  in  annual  session  at  Saratoga  Springs,  August 
10th,  1880.  During  the  session,  Dr.  H.  M.  Paine,  of 
Albany,  offered  resolutions  of  respect  to  the  memory  of 
Dr.  Constantine  Hering. 

Dr.  Gray,  of  New  York,  in  seconding  the  resolutions, 
spoke  feelingly  of  the  high  estimation  in  which  the  de- 
ceased was  held,  and  of  his  great  services  in  the  depart- 
ment of  the  Homoeopathic  Materia  Medica. 

The  resolutions  were  adopted  as  follows: 

Whereas,  This  Society  has  learned  with  deep  sorrow  of  the 
decease  of  the  venerable  Nestor  of  medicine,  Dr.  Constantine 
Hering,  of  Philadelphia  ; therefore, 

Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  this  veteran  physician,  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  Homoeopathy  in  this  country,  we  have  sustained 
an  irreparable  loss ; our  school  a wise  and  influential  leader,  an 
original  thinker,  a sagacious  counsellor;  and  the  public  a prudent 
and  eminently  successful  practitioner. 

Resolved,  That  his  untiring  labors  in  the  unexplored  fields  of 
homoeopathic  provings,  and  in  his  admirable  tact  and  genius  in 
elucidating  therefrom  an  accurate  and  eminently  practical 
system  of  therapeutics,  comprise  voluminous  contributions  to 


161 


standard  medical  literature  of  great  practical  utility  to  the 
medical  profession. 

Resolved,  That  his  genius,  his  intuitive  perception,  his  inde- 
fatigable industry,  his  powers  of  analysis,  inductive  reasoning, 
sound  and  logical  discrimination,  placed  him  in  the  foremost 
rank  of  homoeopathic  physicians. 

Resolved,  That  his  noble  qualities  of  mind,  his  genial  and 
courteou's  manner,  his  ingenuous,  child-like  simplicity  of  charac- 
ter, his  readiness  to  draw  from  his  vast  stores  of  medical  re- 
search which  he  had  long  and  patiently  accumulated,  endeared 
him  to  the  medical  profession,  and  prompt  us  to  hold  his  name 
and  memory  in  the  most  affectionate  remembrance. 

Resolved,  That  while  we  deeply  mourn  his  loss,  we  gratefully 
revere  his  memory,  and  emulate  his  unselfish  and  life-long  devo- 
tion to  the  promotion  of  the  best  interests  of  humanity. 


MICHIGAN  COLLEGE  OF  PHYSICIANS  AND 
SURGEONS. 

A special  meeting  of  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons  of  Michigan,  called  to  take  appropriate  action 
upon  the  occasion  of  the  death  of  Dr.  Constantine  Hering, 
of  Philadelphia,  convened  in  Detroit,  on  the  evening  of 
August  16th,  1880,  a full  quorum  of  members  being 
present,  with  Drs.  E.  R.  Ellis  and  P.  B.  Morgan  as  visi- 
tors. 

In  the  absence  of  the  president,  Dr.  Wm.  M.  Bailey, 
vice-president,  occupied  the  chair. 

The  recorder,  Dr.  J.  G.  Gilchrist,  stated  the  object  of 
the  meeting  and  spoke  in  eulogy  of  the  life  and  labors  of 
the  great  man  whose  recent  death  had  startled  the  pro- 
* 11 


162 


fession,  after  which  a motion  was  passed  that  a com-  * 
mittee  be  appointed  to  prepare  suitable  resolutions.  Drs. 

J.  G.  Gilchrist  and  P.  B.  Morgan  were  appointed. 

After  further  remarks,  many  of  the  speakers  recalling 
instances  of  personal  communion  with  Dr.  Hering,  the 
following  preamble  and  resolutions  were  unanimously 
adopted. 

AVhereas:  This  College  has  received  the  painful  intelligence 
that  Dr.  Constantine  Hering  has  been  called  away  from  the  scene 
of  his  labors,  in  the  hope  of  entering  upon  another  and  higher  life ; 
and, 

AVhereas:  The  officers  and  fellows  of  this  College  realize  that 
in  his  death  the  profession  of  medicine  has  lost  one  of  its  brightest 
ornaments,  and  most  earnest  workers ; therefore, 

Resolved  : That  we  publicly  express  our  keen  appreciation  of 
the  loss  we  have  sustained,  in  common  with  the  whole  profession. 

Resolved:  That  while  we  regret  that  his  labors  have  been 
terminated,  we  recognize  the  inestimable  value,  and  enduring 
character  of  the  work  he  has  been  permitted  to  accomplish,  and 
left  as  a heritage  to  us,  his  successors  in  the  cause  he  loved  so  well. 

Resolved  : That  these  resolutions  and  the  accompanying  pre- 
amble, be  spread  upon  the  minutes  of  the  College,  and  a copy 
transmitted  to  the  Memorial  Committee  in  Philadelphia. 


BRITISH  HOMOEOPATHIC  CONGRESS. 

At  the  British  Homoeopathic  Congress,  held  at  Leeds 
in  September,  1880,  the  following  resolution  was  duly 
presented  and  unanimously  passed : 


That  this  meeting  of  British  homoeopathic  practitioners  has 


163 


* heard  with  the  deepest  regret  of  the  recent  death  of  the  vener- 
able Constantine  Hering,  of  Philadelphia;  that  they  desire  to 
place  upon  record  the  strong  sense  they  entertain  of  the  value 
of  the  services  that  Dr.  Hering  has  rendered  to  the  science  of 
medicine  during  the  whole  of  his  professional  career,  and  of  the 
great  zeal  and  energy  he  has  ever  shown  in  the  advancement, 
development,  and  propagation  of  Homoeopathy;  that  they  at 
the  same  time  desire  to  express  their  sympathy  with  the  mem- 
bers of  his  family,  his  colleagues  in  the  Hahnemann  Medical 
College,  and  his  professional  brethren  in  Philadelphia,  at  the 
loss  they  have  sustained  by  his  death. 


NEW  YORK  STATE  SOCIETY. 

At  the  semi-annual  meeting  of  the  New  York  State 
Homoeopathic  Medical  Society,  held  at  Brooklyn,  at  the 
afternoon  session,  Tuesday,  September  7th,  1880,  Dr. 
Samuel  Lilienthal  spoke  as  follows : 

I am  sure  the  Society  will  pardon  me  for  interrupting  its 
proceedings  at  this  time,  for  I have  a matter  to  bring  before  it 
which  it  seems  to  me  should  receive  attention  to-day.  We  all 
know  that  we  have  lately  lost  one  whom  we  called  Father,  Con- 
stantine Hering,  of  Philadelphia.  I think  it  is  one  of  the  greatest 
losses  Homoeopathy  has  sustained  in  this  country,  and  I would 
move  that  the  president  appoint  a committee  to  draft  suitable 
resolutions  in  relation  to  the  death  of  Dr.  Hering,  the  Father  of 
Homoeopathy  in  this  country. 

The  motion  was  carried,  and  the  president  appointed 
as  committee,  Drs.  P.  P.  Wells,  of  Brooklyn,  and  Samuel 
Lilienthal,  of  New  York,  with  instructions  to  report  at 
the  session  on  Wednesday. 


164 


At  the  session  on  Wednesday  morning,  Dr.  P.  P.  Wells 
spoke  as  follows : 

Mr.  President : — Before  proceeding  to  read  what  I have  written, 
it  will  be,  perhaps,  but  just  to  myself  to  say  that  I was  taken  alto- 
gether by  surprise  last  evening  on  receiving  notice  that  I had  been 
appointed  to  prepare  resolutions  commemorative  of*  the  death  of 
our  colleague,  Dr.  Hering.  The  time  given  in  which  to  arrange 
my  thoughts  appropriately  to  so  vast  a subject  and  put  them  on 
paper,  was  so  brief  that  it  was  exceedingly  embarrassing.  The 
interest  I have  in  the  memory  of  that  great  man,  and  the  many 
years  of  intimacy  I have  had  with  him,  forbade  my  declining  to 
attempt,  as  best  I could,  to  present  to  you  this  morning  the  brief 
preamble  and  resolutions  which  I now  read : 

In  Oschatz,  in  Saxony,  on  January  1st,  1800,  it  pleased  Al- 
mighty God  to  give  a great  blessing  to  the  world  of  science 
and  to  the  world  of  suffering  in  the  birth  of  an  infant,  who  after- 
wards became  known  to  us  as  the  man,  Constantine  Hering.  It 
pleased  the  same  Almighty  goodness  to  remove  him  from  us  by 
death  on  the  twenty-third  day  of  July,  1880.  In  view  of  the 
life  and  its  labors  which  filled  the  space  between  these  points  of 
time,  we  resolve, 

1st.  Gratitude  to  Him  who  gave  so  long  life  and  so  great 
powers  for  good  to  our  friend  and  brother,  and  that  for  so  many 
years  He  gave  it  to  us  to  receive  inspiration  from  his  great 
knowledge  and  generous  spirit,  becoming  to  us  our  leader  and 
teacher,  our  father  and  friend,  our  light  in  the  art  of  healing, 
and  our  example  in  his  never-failing  devotion  to  the  cause  and  in- 
terests of  truth  in  all  the  time  and  circumstances  through  which 
he  passed. 

2d.  Gratitude  to  the  memory  of  him  by  whose  labors  we  have 
been  so  greatly  enriched. 

3d.  That  in  Hering,  the  philosopher,  we  remember  his  vast 
extent  of  knowledge,  his  vigorous  pursuit  and  grasp  of  facts, 
his  ready  appropriation  of  these  and  his  facile  tracing  of  the  re- 


165 


lationsliip  of  new  facts  to  old,  and  their  sure  reference  to  their 
proper  place  in  the  circle  of  facts  known. 

4th.  That  in  him,  as  a teacher,  we  remember  his  clear  percep- 
tion of  facts,  and  of  just  those  his  pupil  needed  first  to  know,  and 
his  skill  in  imparting  them  in  the  manner  and  sequence  best 
adapted  to  meet  these  needs,  and  his  heart-felt  gladness  in  giving 
from  his  fulness  to  the  wants  of  all  who  would  learn.  That  he 
never  was  weary  of  adding  to  the  knowledge  of  others  from  the 
vast  treasures  he  had  gathered  in  his  long  life  of  unexampled 
activity. 

5th.  As  a physician,  we  remember  his  loyalty  to  his  convic- 
tions of  truth,  and  to  the  law  of  healing  he  had  accepted  from 
the  great  master ; his  clear  perception  of  the  facts  of  disease  and 
of  the  specification  of  the  agencies  he  employed  for  its  cure,  and 
his  never-failing  or  faltering  endeavors  to  add  to  the  number  of 
these,  and  that  from  these  endeavors  have  come  to  us  a knowl- 
edge of  many  of  our  most  precious  remedies. 

6th.  As  an  author,  we  remember  the  great  number  and  excel- 
lence of  the  productions  of  his  pen,  each  bearing  in  clear  charac- 
ters the  impress  of  the  individuality  and  genius  of  the  writer,  the 
whole  making  a series  of  unexampled  extent,  interest  and  value. 
We  remember  these  as  abounding  in  compact  thought,  with  facts 
contributed  to  our  knowledge,  with  suggestions  of  relationships 
of  these  to  other  facts  and  to  each  other ; all  so  luminous  with 
the  effulgence  of  genius,  and  so  astonishing  by  reason  of  the  great 
labors  they  disclose.  We  remember  that  it  is  to  these  labors  the 
literature  of  Homoeopathy  is  indebted  for  more  than  half  its 
wealth. 

7th.  As  a man,  we  remember  him  as  largely  endowed  by  nature 
with  the  noblest  qualities ; frank,  generous,  affectionate,  true, 
noble  in  his  aspirations,  loving  the  good  and  hating  all  that  was 
mean,  he  has  left  to  us  a memory  to  which  we  can  always  recur 
with  pleasure  and  profit.  As  an  embodiment  of  great  knowledge 
and  learning,  by  his  death  he  impresses  us  with  a sense  of  our 
great  loss,  and  we  are  constrained  to  feel  and  say  we  shall  never 
look  on  his  like  again. 


166 


Dr.  Samuel  Lilienthal  spoke  as  follows : 

Will  you  allow  me,  in  seconding  these  resolutions,  to  say  a few 
words  about  our  departed  friend.  One  thing  which  endeared 
him  to  all  those  who  were  acquainted  with  him  was  the  great  en- 
couragement he  always  held  out  to  the  young.  There  was  no 
difference  manifested  in  him,  no  matter  who  it  was  that  came. 
Any  one  who  came  to  him  poor  went  away  rich.  Another  thing 
which  I always  admired  so  much  in  Constantine  Hering  was, 
that  you  never  heard  him  say,  “ Homoeopathy  will  go  down.” 
He  knew,  as  one  of  the  founders  of  Homoeopathy,  that  the  legacy 
was  left  in  good  hands,  and  I am  pretty  sure  our  young  men  will 
take  pride  in  following  such  a good  example  as  that  which  Con- 
stantine Hering  left  them.  I remember  on  one  occasion  he  said, 
“ I have  no  fears  for  Homoeopathy ; we  shall  mix  with  other 
schools,  and  I am  pretty  sure  that  the  other  schools  will  come  to 
us.”  Dr.  Hering  died  in  harness.  At  six  o’clock  on  the  even- 
ing of  his  death  he  made  his  last  prescription.  It  was  for  a poor 
German  in  broken  health,  who  had  been  treated  by  the  old  school 
without  any  benefit ; he  examined  him  and  expressed  a doubt 
whether  he  could  be  made  a whole  man  again ; but  he  said  he 
must  relieve  him,  so  he  gave  him  a prescription.  This  was 
another  beautiful  trait  in  his  character,  that  he  knew  the  great 
resources  of  the  Materia  Medica,  and  when  others  despaired  he 
was  hopeful.  His  memory  should  be  sacred  to  us.  I hope  the 
resolutions,  as  prepared  by  Dr.  Wells,  will  be  accepted  unani- 
mously. 

The  resolutions  were  adopted  by  a rising  vote,  every 
member  of  the  Society  rising. 


PENNSYLVANIA  STATE  SOCIETY. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Homoeopathic  Medical 
Society  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  held  at  Easton,  Sep- 


167 


tember  8th  and  9th,  1880,  the  president,  Dr.  John  K. 
Lee,  concluded  his  address  with  the  following  words: 

As  an  appendix  to  these  desultory  thoughts,  I would  ask  your 
permission  to  pay  a brief  tribute  to  our  late  colleague  and  co- 
laborer, the  illustrious  Dr.  Hering.  With  natural  ambition  of 
a high  order,  strengthened  and  developed  by  careful  culture,  he 
in  early  life,  for  the  purpose  of  refutation,  applied  himself  to 
the  study  of  Homoeopathy,  and  as  his  logical  mind  advanced  in 
this  investigation  and  he  turned  the  clear  light  of  reason  upon 
its  alleged  principles,  and  placed  their  proofs  in  the  crucible  of 
experience,  the  vigor  of  his  prejudice  relaxed  and  gave  way  to 
convictions,  and  these  convictions  gradually  hardened  into  firm 
belief  until,  like  Paul  who  went  out  with  threatenings  to  perse- 
cute the  saints,  he  renounced  his  hostility  and  became  the  cham- 
pion of  a new  medical  faith.  Placing  himself  in  communication 
with  Hahnemann,  he  received  a full  revelation  of  this  great 
truth  and  its  corollaries,  and  imbued  with  the  sentiments  of  his 
master  and  an  ardent  desire  for  their  triumph,  he  sought  an  asy- 
lum in  the  New  World,  where,  under  the  protecting  aegis  of  our 
free  institutions,  he  could  accomplish  his  mission  without  embar- 
rassment or  interference. 

Here,  for  nearly  half  a century,  with  untiring  industry  and 
zeal,  he  prosecuted  his  researches,  and  from  the  perennial  foun- 
tain of  his  pen  flowed  a continuous  stream  to  fertilize  the  seed 
he  had  planted ; and  ere  his  great  heart  had  ceased  its  pulsa- 
tions, his  eyes  were  ravished  with  a view  of  the  waving  harvest  • 
as  a reward  of  his  benevolent  and  useful  labors. 

Truly  a great  man  has  fallen — -great  intellectually,  and  great 
in  the  simplicity  and  grandeur  of  his  character,  but  greater  still 
in  the  possession  of  those  moral  attributes  which  elevate  man  to 
that  exalted  plane  where  he  can  abnegate  himself  and  make  all 
personal  considerations  subordinate  to  the  higher  and  holier  in- 
terest of  a common  brotherhood.  His  last  moments  were  a 
fitting  climax  to  his  distinguished  labors,  since  amid  the  un- 


168 


disturbed  repose  and  endeared  associations  of  his  study,  sur- 
rounded by  his  unpublished  manuscripts  and  other  evidences  of 
his  unremitting  toil,  he  at  once  ceased  to  write  and  to  live. 

He  requires  no  marble  shaft  to  preserve  the  reward  of  his  life 
or  tell  the  story  of  his  achievements,  for  his  history  is  the 
warp  and  woof  of  nearly  every  page  of  our  literature ; his 
memory  will  be  cherished  by  thousands  yet  unborn,  and  his 
fame  will  only  brighten  by  the  lapse  of  time.  Whilst  we  may 
not  be  able  to  receive  the  mantle  that  has  fallen  from  his  shoul- 
ders, we  can  imitate  the  brilliant  example  of  his  devotion  to  the 
cause  he  so  ably  espoused ; and  ere  his  lifeless  form  has  faded 
into  dust  and  the  wintry  winds  wail  their  plaintive  requiem  over 
his  grave,  let  us  renew  our  vows  of  fidelity  to  Homoeopathy, 
and  endeavor  to  realize,  as  he  eminently  did, 

“He  most  lives  who  thinks  most — feels  the  noblest — acts  the 
best.” 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  address,  a committee  consist- 
ing of  Drs.  J.  H.  McClelland,  Aug.  Korndoerfer  and  H. 
Detwiller  was  appointed  to  draft  suitable  resolutions  of 
respect,  and  in  due  time  the  chairman  of  the  committee 
presented  the  following : 

The  Homoeopathic  Medical  Society  of  Pennsylvania,  in  an- 
nual session  assembled,  with  unanimous  voice  adopts  the  follow- 
ing minute : 

The  death  of  Dr.  Constantine  Hering,  of  Philadelphia,  on  the 
23d  day  of  July,  1880,  is  recognized  as  an  event  of  signal  im- 
port in  the  history  of  medicine.  It  marks  the  close  of  a life,  re- 
markable for  unflagging  and  long-sustained  industry  in  the 
cause  of  medical  science  and  in  promoting  the  good  of  his  kind. 
With  full  recognition  of  his  prodigious  labors  in  the  field  of 
Materia  Medica  and  Homoeopathic  Therapeutics,  the  attainments 
of  Dr.  Hering  in  general  science  and  letters  entitle  him  to  a 
high  place  among  men  of  learning  in  this  enlightened  age. 


169 


This  Society,  therefore,  records  with  willing  hands  its  high 
appreciation  of  the  distinguished  dead,  and  with  sentiments  of 
high  regard,  offers  heartfelt  sympathy  to  the  bereaved  family. 

By  a rising  vote  the  report  was  unanimously  adopted. 


NEW  YORK  COUNTY  HOMOEOPATHIC  MEDICAL 
SOCIETY. 

Pursuant  to  call  a special  meeting  of  the  Homoeopathic 
Medical  Society  of  the  County  of  New  York,  convened 
on  the  evening  of  October  7th,  1880,  the  president,  Dr.  W. 
Hanford  White,  occupying  the  chair,  and  Dr.  Alfred  K. 
Hills  acting  as  secretary. 

There  were  present,  Drs.  W.  Hanford  and  J.  R.  White, 
E.  Bayard,  S.  Lilienthal,  L.  Hallock,  H.  D.  Paine,  T.  F. 
Allen,  E.  M.  Kellogg,  H.  M.  Smith,  Jos.  Finch,  C.  Th. 
Liebold,  S.  P.  and  A.  H.  Burdick,  H.  A.  Wright,  E. 
Carleton,  Jr.,  H.  Von  Musits,  G.  S.  Norton,  M.  Deschere, 

E.  A.  Jennings,  M.  Leal,  J.  H.  Demarest,  M.  C.  Man, 
John  Butler,  J.  W.  Dowling,  C.  Williams,  W.  Y.  Cowl, 

F.  Oertel,  J.  A.  Carmichael,  J.  and  F.  Donavan,  and 
Alfred  K.  Hills. 

The  president,  after  announcing  briefly  the  object  of 
the  meeting,  called  upon  Dr.  E.  Bayard,  who  responded 
as  follows : 


If  a great  man  is  one  to  whom  God  has  given  large  gifts,  and 
who  has  cultivated  them  to  the  extent  of  his  powers  for  the  best 
interests  of  his  fellow-beings,  then  Constantine  Hering  was  a great 


170 


man.  He  was  not  a money-getter.  His  powers  did  not  work  in 
the  direction  of  accumulating  property.  He  did  not  care  to 
amass  this  world’s  goods ; but  he  wanted  to  be  rich  in  learning, 
especially  in  all  that  pertained  to  his  profession. 

He  was  logical,  discriminating,  a great  lover  of  nature,  and  a 
close  observer  of  her.  He  was  a hard  student,  of  unwearied  in- 
dustry. He  “ sought  Truth  earnestly,  and  he  found  it.”  He 
made  note  of  all  his  observations ; hence  he  left  behind  him  a 
large  amount  of  valuable  writing. 

He  was  engaged  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  a great  work,  his 
“ Guiding  Symptoms,”  and  would  to  God  he  had  been  permitted 
to  finish  that  work ; but  it  was  otherwise  ordered.  I am  told  by 
those  who  knew  his  habits,  that  every  sentence  in  that  work  was 
studied  over  sometimes  for  hours,  that  his  true  meaning  might 
be  expressed.  That  he  might  lose  no  time,  his  writing-desk  and 
materials  were  brought  close  to  the  side  of  his  couch,  so  that  he 
could  arise  in  the  night,  light  the  lamp  and  continue  his  work. 
As  for  recreation  and  amusement,  he  knewT  little  of  either  outside 
of  his  profession. 

While  a subject  of  the  Saxon  Government,  he  was  commissioned 
to  make  collections  as  a naturalist  in  Surinam,  South  America. 
In  the  course  of  this  study  he  found  facts  illustrating  the  truth 
of  Homoeopathy,  and  gave  account  of  them  to  a homoeopathic 
journal  in  Germany.  His  Government  objected  to  this  work  as 
heterodox.  Dr.  Hering  thought  he  ought  not  to  be  controlled 
in  any  respect  in  the  service  of  scientific  truth.  Upon  the  in- 
stant he  resigned  his  commission  and  sought  a free  land,  where 
his  thoughts  or  the  expression  of  them  for  the  advancement  of 
his  race  would  not  be  controlled.  He  found  such  freedom  in 
this  country. 

This  showed  his  noble  independence  of  character,  and  his 
earnest  search  and  love  of  Truth,  which  would  not  permit  him 
to  weigh  against  her  a social  position  and  a money  considera- 
tion. He  sought  this  New  World  to  work  and  plow  the  field  the 
providence  of  God  assigned  to  him,  with  gifts  U carry  out  fully 


171 


and  nobly  his  work,  ere  he  was  called  away  to  be  set  in  the 
heavens  by  the  side  of  Hahnemann,  Boenninghausen,  Stapf  and 
Jahr — a galaxy  whose  light  will  continue  when  the  things  of 
this  earth  and  its  monuments  of  brass  and  stone  have  crumbled. 

Is  it  not  wise  and  right  that  we  should  look  into  the  sheaves 
of  the  rich  harvest  garnered  by  our  late  beloved  colleague  for 
our  own  instruction,  and  that  we  should  examine  into  the  princi- 
ples that  governed  him  in  the  profession  and  practice  to  which  he 
devoted  his  life,  and  in  which  he  stood  out  so  eminently  the 
acknowledged  leader? 

Dr.  Hering  made  this  the  essential  point  of  doctrine  and  prac- 
tice : to  cure  the  sick  easily  and  permanently,  by  medicines  capa- 
ble of  themselves  of  producing  in  a healthy  person  morbid  symp- 
toms similar  to  those  of  the  sick.  He  sought  no  other  cure,  nor 
recognized  it  as  one,  unless  it  was  under  the  law  proclaimed  by 
Hahnemann.  He  sought  no  palliation,  except  under  this  law, 
believing  that  it  hindered  and  endangered  a perfect  cure.  He 
believed  that  the  morbid  condition  of  tissues  and  organs  are 
the  result  of  the  dynamic  disturbance,  and  not  the  cause  of 
the  disease.  He  was  therefore  a Vitalist — believing  disease  to 
be  the  disturbance  of  the  vital  force,  and  its  equalization  the 
state  of  health.  He  believed  that  the  totality  of  symptoms,  sub- 
jective and  objective,  are  the  only  indications  for  the  choice  of  a 
remedy.  He  did  not  believe  that  prescribing  on  the  pathological 
states,  nor  diagnosis  where  the  vital  powers  were  tending  to  those 
states,  were,  sufficient  to  effect  a cure.  The  symptoms  in  their 
totality  alone  were  the  only  guide  for  a cure  to  him. 

He  believed  that  the  only  proper  way  to  ascertain  the  disturb- 
ing properties  of  medicine  on  the  vital  force  is  to  prove  them  on 
the  healthy ; that  thereby  only  the  true  expression  of  that  dis- 
turbance can  be  observed.  And  he  believed  that  in  order  to  ob- 
tain and  secure  the  highest  curative  results,  medicines  must  be 
administered  singly  and  in  a dose  just  sufficient  to  cure,  because 
he  knew  that  all  action  is  followed  by  reaction  (there  is  no  ex- 
ception to  this  law) ; that  all  action  on  the  vital  powers  is,  by  an 


inherent  law,  followed  sooner  or  later  by  reaction,  which  termi- 
nates in  cure  and  health.  Hence  an  overdose  must,  by  its  in- 
tensity of  action,  delay  or  prevent  reaction  and  cure. 

I remember  on  a certain  occasion,  early  in  my  practice,  I told 
Dr.  Hering  of  my  suffering.  He  asked  me  the  remedy  I had 
taken,  and  seemed  to  think  it  well  chosen.  He  then  asked  the 
dilution.  I told  him  the  third.  “Ah,”  said  he,  “you  have 
stopped  it,  but  perhaps  not  made  a cure.”  He  shook  his  head 
and  seemed  disappointed.  He  said  no  more ; but  he  caused  me 
to  reflect  that  it  might  well  be  so — that  I had  thrown  an  ob- 
stacle before  the  diverted  vital  force — that  I had  stayed  its  for- 
ward movement  by  a shock  that  injured  its  reactive  power — as  a 
boulder  thrown  before  a carriage  wheel  in  motion  stops  it,  but 
cripples  the  wheel. 

Dr.  Hering  believed  that  when  he  produced  the  impression  at 
the  right  point,  and  in  the  right  direction,  the  force  must  be  per- 
mitted to  be  exhausted  ; therefore  be  waited.  Shorter  or  longer 
the  time,  he  waited,  his  eyes  wide  open,  and  his  observation  on  a 
stretch,  looking  for  that  action  which  is  to  end  in  equalization. 

Dr.  Constantine  Hering  was  a true  Homoeopathist.  He  be- 
lieved in  Homoeopathy  and  lived  up  to  it.  He  believed  that  the 
highest  results  in  his  art  were  obtained  by  close  individualization 
alone,  not  by  generalization.  I loved  him  for  his  simplicity  and 
directness  of  character;  for  his  large,  brilliant  inquiry  after  truth, 
and  for  his  resting  on  principles  derived  from  a patient  examina- 
tion of  facts. 

He  enriched  our  Materia  Medica  by  his  severe  labors.  I will 
not  name  the  many  remedies  he  has  proven,  arranged  and  pub- 
lished. You  know  them  all.  The  diligent  student  of  our  Ma- 
teria Medica  must  have  observed  how  full,  exact  and  character- 
istic were  the  medicines  proved  and  arranged  by  Hahnemann. 
Just  so  were  the  provings  and  arrangements  by  Dr.  Hering 
equally  clear,  full,  exact  and  characteristic.  He  took  his  great 
master,  Hahnemann,  as  his  model,  and  we  only  hope  that  those 
who  may  have  the  direction  of  arranging  and  publishing  his 


173 


writings  will  give  them  to  us  just  as  he  set  them  clown.  Then 
we  shall  feel  that  the  seal  of  reliability  is  placed  upon  them. 

When  some  patient  astronomer,  who  night  after  night  has  been 
watching  the  stars,  brings  to  light  some  unknown  planet,  to  do 
him  honor  the  new-born  world  is  called  after  his  name,  and  the 
discoverer  is  never  to  be  forgotten.  If  the  astronomer  is  worthy 
of  distinction,  what  shall  we  say  of  the  man  who  brings  to  light 
a new  remedial  agent  to  relieve  suffering  humanity,  ward  off 
death,  and  bring  back  health?  He,  methinks,  has  done  a 
greater  work.  And  so  the  great  discoverer  of  Lachesis  will  be 
gratefully  remembered  by  those  who  know  how  to  apply  this 
remedy  in  all  its  varied  forms,  for  which  in  the  provings  he  suf- 
fered ; and  his  only  suffering  was  from  the  seal  set  by  Lachesis, 
from  which  he  never  wholly  recovered.  That  suffering  was  a 
crown  of  glory  to  him. 

Constantine  Hering  showed  in  his  death  his  medical  principles, 
and  showed  that  if  the  homoeopathic  law%  the  law  proclaimed  by 
Hahnemann,  was  followed,  a man  would  live  longer  and  die 
easier  than  under  any  other  practice ; for  he  that  is  filled  with 
disturbing  drugs  must  die  as  the  hunted  fox,  torn  and  rent  by 
the  bloody  mouths  of  a pack  of  hounds.  But  he  that  follows  the 
practice  of  our  beloved  colleague,  will  have  sleep  rather  than 
death.  The  forces  equalized,  he  has  rest.  He  ceases  to  exist  by 
the  withdrawal  of  his  life  by  the  Giver  of  life ; as  some  locomo- 
tive running  smoothly  upon  the  track,  after  exhausting  her  fuel, 
slows  down  and  stops — not  thrown  from  the  rails  by  broken  ma- 
chinery, and  rushing  to  ruin  with  terrible  violence. 

At  six  o’clock  in  the  evening  he  made  his  last  prescription  to 
a patient,  observing  to  his  wife  with  great  animation  and  interest, 
that  this  patient  had  been  prescribed  for  by  many  physicians, 
and  he  believed  he  should  help  him.  Then  he  went,  as  he  was 
accustomed,  to  take  his  evening  meal  with  his  family,  which  he 
greatly  enjoyed  in  that  social  circle  under  an  arbor  in  his  gar- 
den. At  eight  o’clock,  the  meal  being  over,  Dr.  Hering  said  he 
would  retire  to  his  study  and  his  couch.  His  devoted  wife  went 


with  him  to  aid  him  in  preparing  for  bed.  He  said  to  her : “ I 
believe  I shall  sleep.”  She  left  him  to  his  repose.  At  ten  he 
touched  his  bell,  which  summoned  her  at  once  to  his  side.  He 
remarked  that  his  breathing  was  embarrassed,  accompanied  by 
constant  yawning.  He  asked  her  to  get  a book  in  his  office  that 
he  might  examine  this  symptom.  She  did  as  directed ; but  being 
alarmed  sent  for  a physician.  I believe  he  selected  the  remedy 
and  laid  down  to  sleep.  In  a short  time,  without  pain,  without  a 
struggle,  he  passed  into  that  sleep  which  knows  no  waking — and 
the  great  physician  demonstrated  the  benign,  gentle,  but  con- 
trolling influence  of  the  action  of  the  great  law  to  which  he  de- 
voted his  life.  Thus  died  Constantine  Hering,  dear  to  Homoe- 
opathy, and  to  be  forever  honored  by  its  true  practitioners. 

Dr.  S.  Lilienthal  said  : 

For  the  little  that  I am,  the  little  I ever  accomplished,  the 
little  reputation  I have  gained,  I have  to  thank  two  men,  who 
have  gone  home  to  do  more  precious  work  in  higher  spheres — I 
mean  Carroll  Dunham  and  Constantine  Hering. 

The  day  I made  the  personal  acquaintance  of  Father  Hering 
will  never  be  forgotten,  as  long  as  I live.  In  the  beginning  of 
the  year  1870  I had  received  an  invitation  from  the  faculty  of  the 
Hahnemann  College,  in  Philadelphia,  to  deliver  a lecture  during 
the  preliminary  course.  Our  mutual  friend,  Dr.  Raue,  intro- 
duced me  to  the  Father  of  Homoepathy  in  America.  With  that 
even,  cheerful  smile  on  his  face,  he  looked  at  me  attentively,  and 
then,  with  a sonorous  laugh,  he  addressed  Raue,  “ I thought  I 
would  see  a young  man  before  me,  and  now  that  hard-working 
Lilienthal  is  as  grey  as  I am.”  I soon  found  myself  at  home,  in 
the  full  sense  of  the  word,  in  his  company,  and  when  after  that 
lecture  we  met  at  Raue’s  house,  to  spend  a few  hours  in  convivial 
conversation,  Constantine  Hering  was  the  life  of  the  whole  com- 
pany. It  is  just  ten  years  ago  or,  perhaps,  eleven,  when  the  firm 
of  Boericke  & Tafel  bought  out  Mr.  Radde,  in  New  York,  and 


175 


they  seriously  intended  to  give  up  the  North  American  Journal 
of  Homoeopathy . Hering  would  not  listen  to  it.  “There  is  your 
editor,”  he  said,  pointing  to  me,  “and  we  must  support  him.”  Rely- 
ing on  this  great  support,  not  in  words,  but  in  deeds,  I accepted 
the  trust,  and  Hering  has  never  disappointed  the  readers  of  the 
Quarterly.  In  fact,  this  was  one  of  the  great  traits  of  this  great 
and  good  man,  that  his  word  was  as  good  as  his  bond,  and  as 
number  after  number  appeared  for  the  last  ten  years,  he  kept  on 
cheering  to  the  last ; and  now  that  he  has  departed,  I consider  it 
my  duty  to  collect  from  the  old  German  literature  the  writings  of 
our  Father,  and  give  them  to  you  in  that  old  Quarterly  of  mine. 

During  the  Centennial  World’s  Convention  at  Philadelphia, 
friend  Raue  was  again  my  host,  and  one  day,  visiting  Papa  Her- 
ing, he  requested  me  to  invite  some  congenial  spirits  and  meet 
that  night  quietly  at  Raue’s.  Though  it  was  the  night  of  the  big 
ball  and  it  rained  torrents,  the  old  man  came  to  121  North  Tenth 
street,  according  to  promise,  and  I never  can  forget  the  happy 
hours  passed  there.  Hering  and  Dunham  were  sitting  on  the 
sofa  together,  Dunham  asking  and  Hering  answering,  and  we,  a 
dozen  or  so,  listening  to  that  interesting  conversation.  The  rain 
had  stopped ; it  was  a clear  night,  and  when  we  broke  up  Hering 
felt  so  happy  he  would  not  ride  home,  and  invited  us  as  his  body- 
guard to  accompany  him  the  short  distance.  The  next  morn- 
ing Dunham  and  myself  compared  notes  at  the  Continental 
hotel  and  as  Carroll  Dunham  said:  “We  felt  better  to  have 
spent  such  an  evening  with  such  a master,  and  we  envied  the  phy- 
sicians who  could  enjoy  (night  after  night)  such  a privilege.” 

It  was  my  habit  to  make,  year  after  year,  my  pilgrimage  to 
this  holy  shrine,  and  I always  left  it  highly  satisfied  with  my  gain. 
If  I learned  my  lessons  in  liberality  and  charity  from  Dunham, 
I learned  from  Hering  to  value  the  opinions  of  others,  and  to  de- 
spise those  who  preach  one  thing  and  practice  another.  Any 
falsity  was  an  abomination  to  his  straightforward  manner,  and 
the  language  which  he  then  could  use,  was  more  forcible  than 
elegant.  He  always  felt  happy  in  the  midst  of  the  young  and 


176 


rising  generation,  and  none  ever  left  him  without  an  encouraging 
word.  Envy  was  unknown  to  him,  for  he  knew  that  he  had  done 
his  duty  to  humanity,  and  no  one  was  more  pleased  than  Father 
Hering  with  the  increase  of  our  homoeopathic  literature.  The 
one  great  fault  which  this  master  had,  was,  he  tried  too  much, 
he  began  too  much,  as  if  life  would  last  forever.  His . restless 
mind  knew  only  work,  work,  work,  and  if  tired  of  one  thing  there 
were  so  many  wakeful  ganglia  in  that  large  brain  that  other  work 
could  be  accomplished,  and  thus  we  find  in  that  glorious  room 
up  stairs,  and  in  those  safes  down  stairs,  treasures  garnered,  which 
he  intended  to  give  us,  piece  by  piece,  but  threescore  years  and  ten 
and  perchance  four  more  is  the  allotted  time,  and  though  a gra- 
cious Providence  spared  him  so  long  to  us,  the  clock  has  run 
down.  Let  us  honor  the  memory  of  Constantine  Hering  by  con- 
tinuing those  masterly  works  which  he  laid  out  for  us  during  his 
lifetime.  Thus,  though  departed,  he  still  lives  in  us  and  with  us. 

Remarks  of  Dr.  T.  F.  Allen  : 

Mr.  President  and  members  of  the  Homoeopathic  Medical 
Society  of  the  County  of  New  York. 

Some  of  our  colleagues  can  speak  of  the  departed  hero,  whom 
we  commemorate  this  evening,  as  a fellow-laborer,  as  one  with 
whom  they  toiled  in  their  earlier  as  well  as  during  their  more 
mature  years ; to  me,  he  seems  like  a pioneer,  one  whose  labors 
were  to  be  built  upon,  one  who  prepared  the  way,  who  hewed 
straight  paths  through  the  thickets  and  let  light  into  dark  places. 
This  feeling  toward  him  had  birth  when  one  winter’s  evening, 
twenty  years  ago,  my  revered  preceptor,  Dr  P.  P.  Wells,  took 
me  to  a meeting  at  the  house  of  Dr.  Joslin,  the  elder,  on  the 
corner  of  University  Place  and  Thirteenth  Street.  How  vividly 
I remember  that  evening,  the  calm,  philosophical  Joslin,  the 
earnest  Bayard,  the  positive  Wells,  the  dogmatic  Reisig,  the 
keen-eyed  Fincke,  and  the  enthusiastic  life  and  centre  of  all — 
Hering.  I was  the  only  young  man  present,  fresh  from  the  Uni- 


177 


versity,  full  of  the  teachings  of  the  scholastics,  full  of  the  old  time 
prejudices  of  my  father.  That  group  of  men,  that  enthusiasm  of 
Hering,  the  whole  tone  of  thought  was  so  different  from  that  of 
the  schools,  that  I was  forced  to  believe  in  a vitalizing  truth  in 
Homoeopathy.  I ventured  one  little  remark  to  Dr.  Wells  during 
the  evening.  Dr.  Reisig  was  explaining  some  preparation  of 
Castile  soap , which  he  considered  a specific  for  burns.  He  was 
in  the  habit  of  applying  it  locally  and  of  giving  a potency  inter- 
nally, and  Dr.  Hering  was  combatting  the  local  application.  I 
asked  Dr.  AVells,  almost  in  a whisper,  “but  does  it  cure?” 
“ Cure,”  thundered  Reisig,  “ of  course  it  does.”  Hering  looked 
at  me,  smiled,  and  said,  “ That  was  a good  question.”  My  heart 
warmed  toward  him,  and  from  that  time  we  were  friends,  though 
he  did  not  always  approve  of  my  way  of  doing  things.  Hering 
was  always  searching  for  truth ; he  despised  no  contribution  to 
his  large  knowledge,  however  humble  its  source ; he  proved  all 
things  and  held  fast  to  that  which  was  good.  One  can  but  be  im- 
pressed by  the  avidity  with  which  he  sought  for  the  truth,  while 
reading  his  earlier  contributions  to  homoeopathic  literature.  His 
first  article  is  in  the  Archiv /.  Homceopatische  Heilkunst,  for  1828, 
a letter  to  the  editor,  Dr.  Stapf,  from  Surinam,  dated  Sept.  28th, 
1827.  Prefacing  the  letter  the  editor  remarks : “ These  communi- 
cations from  Dr.  Hering,  of  Dresden,  who  is  well  known  to  several 
readers  of  this  Archiv  and  highly  esteemed  as  a zealous  natur- 
alist and  warm  friend  of  Homoeopathy,  now  for  more  than  a 
year  journeying  in  South  America  studying  the  natural  sciences 
and  medicine,  deserve  a place  in  this  journal,  on  account  of  inter- 
esting notes  concerning  the  diseases  of  those  countries  and  their 
homoeopathic  treatment;  they  will  also  be  peculiarly  welcome  to 
those  more  nearly  related  to  him  giving,  as  they  do,  information 
concerning  his  life  and  doings.”  First  he  gives  us  a careful 
analysis  of  sea-sickness  and  his  experience  with  Cocculus  12th, 
followed  by  Staphisagria  30th.  In  succeeding  communications 
he  relates  his  experience  with  Leprosy,  the  symptoms  of  which 
12 


178 


lie  studied  most  carefully.  The  enthusiasm  with  which  he  took 
up  the  study  of  Psorinum,  the  provings  of  which  Hahnemann 
reluctantly,  and  after  patient  investigations,  allowed  to  be  pub- 
lished, was  characteristic  of  the  man ; now  wTas  his  restless  mind 
content ; he  seemed  to  see  boundless  possibilities  in  the  “ nosodes” 
and  took  up  the  fascinating,  but  fatal,  doctrine  of  Isopathy,  and 
enlarged,  embellished  and  generalized  from  it,  till  he  found  the 
bottom  of  soft,  slimy  ooze,  which  he  then  struggled  out  of  and 
hastened  to  wash  clean  off  his  skirts.  In  his  latter  years  he  saw 
clearly  that  it  was  fatal  to  Homoeopathy,  and,  like  a true  savant, 
he  retracted  all  he  had  said  in  its  favor. 

I can  testify,  with  thousands,  to  his  large  heartedness,  to  his 
never-failing  generosity.  In  the  special  work  on  Materia  Medica 
which  I have  undertaken  he  has  always  been  ready,  even  anxious, 
to  help  me ; from  the  time  when  I translated  his  provings  of 
Aloes,  Apis,  etc.,  for  the  American  Horn.  Review,  to  my  latest  task, 
I am  proud  to  acknowledge  with  gratitude  the  encouragement 
and  assistance  received  from  Dr.  Hering.  We  differed  in  some 
things  and  he  has  berated  me  soundly  for  differing,  but  his  help 
continued. 

His  faith  in  the  homoeopathic  law  of  cure  was  boundless,  his 
faith  in  his  friends  almost  equally  boundless ; by  nature,  trusting 
as  trustworthy,  he  gathered  from  everybody,  and  his  shelves, 
groaning  beneath  the  weight  of  the  harvest,  testify  to  his  un- 
wearied industry. 

We  shall  do  highest  honor  to  Constantine  Hering  by  imitating 
his  example.  Could  he  have  desired  more  than  that?  There 
has  never  been  a time  in  the  history  of  Homoeopathy  when  it 
was  more  necessary  to  hold  fast  to  the  first  principles  of  our 
faith ; never  a time  when  more  were  inquiring  the  way  to  save 
the  sick  than  now,  and  shall  we  relax  our  firm  grasp  upon  what 
wre  know  to  be  right,  for  the  sake  of  gaining  popularity  ? Hering 
knew,  as  we  know,  that  the  right  would  prevail ; he  knew,  as  we 
know,  that  the  chief  principles  of  Hahnemann  are  laws  of  nature. 
Let  us  then  imitate  him.  Let  us  be  enthusiastic.  ' Let  us  be 


179 


scientific.  Let  us  be  industrious.  Let  us  seek  the  good  that  is 
in  everyone  and  help  one  another.  So  shall  we  honor  Hering. 

Dr.  Joseph  Finch  said : 

Mr.  President : I wish  this  evening  to  add  my  humble  testi- 
mony to  the  worth  of  the  great  and  good  man  who  has  gone 
from  us. 

In  regard  to  the  death  of  our  friend,  Dr.  Constantine  Hering, 
there  can  be  but  one  sentiment,  one  feeling,  viz.,  that  of  loss, 
irreparable  loss,  the  extent  of  which  we  do  not  realize  to-night, 
but  shall  more  and  more  in  the  days  that  are  to  come. 

The  immediate  circle  in  which  he  lived  and  moved  has  parted 
with  its  brightest  light  and  its  sincerest  friend ; and  those  who 
have  only  known  him  through  the  medium  of  his  zealous  labors 
with  the  pen,  missing  the  profoundness  of  his  research  and  the 
unusual  clearness  of  his  statements,  will  gather  up  and  cherish 
what  he  has  given  with  a double  care.  Homoeopathy  has  lost 
her  eldest  son,  her  clearest-sighted  pioneer,  her  bravest  defender. 

He  was  her  Nestor  in  America,  and  when  she  writes  his  epitaph 
many  words  will  be  required,  each  a picture  in  itself,  to  describe 
the  hero  she  has  lost,  the  friend  she  has  buried. 

His  unparalleled  devotion  to  Homoeopathy  was  not  the  out- 
growth of  fidelity  to  a school,  nor  could  it  be  justly  attributed  to 
the  impulses  of  an  ambitious  nature.  It  was  founded  in  the  deep- 
est conviction  of  an  earnest  heart,  and  stimulated  by  a manly  love 
of  truth. 

He  was  not  partisan  in  feeling.  He  was  not  a hobbyist,  but  a 
scientist  that  commanded  the  admiration  of  his  friends  and  the 
respect  of  his  foes.  But  he  has  gone,  and  our  grieving  shall  be 
tempered  by  submission  to  the  will  and  wisdom  of  that  Divine 
Providence  which  gave  him  to  us  at  the  first,  which  sustained 
him  so  long  and  well  in  his  professional  career,  and  hath  in  the 
full  harvest  time  gathered  him  so  peacefully  to  the  garner  of  re- 
fined and  ripened  life — his  home  in  the  skies. 


180 


Dr.  C.  Th.  Liebold  said: 

Mr.  President : I am  not  a convert  to  Homoeopathy,  I have  been 
brought  up  in  the  faith.  In  fact,  among  my  earliest  recollections  is 
the  magic  relief  of  a very  severe  pain  by  two  or  three  diminutive 
sugar  pellets,  administered  after  careful  selection  in  “ Hering’s 
Homoeopathischer  Hausarzt,”  by  my  parents.  I have  never  wa- 
vered in  my  faith,  neither  the  ridicule  nor  the  scientific  contempt 
of  greater  or  lesser  medical  and  non-medical  lights  has  ever  for  a 
moment  been  able  to  extinguish  the  memory  of  the  fact  that  it 
did  help.  Not  that  I have  ever  remained  faithful  to  the  smallest 
possible  pellets  or  to  any  other  “dictum”  about  the  “ dose,”  but 
nothing  has  struck  me  more  forcibly  or  made  me  a more  confirmed 
homoeopath  than  the  attendance  on  lectures  on  Allopathic  Materia 
Medica.  On  one  side  the  advice  never  to  give  more  medicine 
than  just  enough  to  cure ; on  the  other  from  Arsenic  down  to 
Zingiber,  how  much  a patient  could  possibly  bear  without  doing 
him  serious  harm,  and  so  and  so  much  will  kill  a large  dog,  while 
so  and  so  much  will  finish  a puppy. 

Reminded  to  present  also  my  mite  at  this  memorial  meeting, 
I rummaged  among  my  old  papers  and  found  a copy  of  a letter 
addressed  to  Dr.  Hering,  nearly  fifteen  years  ago,  soon  after  I had 
settled  in  this  city.  The  occasion  was  a letter  written  to  a mu- 
tual acquaintance  but  indirectly  to  me,  inquiring  about  informa- 
tion on  some  questions  concerning  the  eyes.  The  first  was  the 
dilatation  of  the  pupil  by  atropia  to  facilitate  ophthalmoscopic 
examinations,  and  whether  it  would  not  cause  permanent  mydria- 
sis in  some  cases  ? The  second : what  was  really  the  cause  of 
the  sparkling  of  the  eyes  (augenglanzen) ? The  third:  what 
are  the  crossed  (rhombic)  lines  in  the  field  of  vision  ? It  does 
not  matter  about  the  answers,  I only  mention  the  fact  because  the 
inquirer  was  then  three-score  and  six,  but  still  young  enough  to 
learn  a lesson  and  an  example,  which  I only  hope  to  be  able  to 
follow. 

Some  years  later  I remember  he  asked  my  opinion  about  that 


181 


mischievous  but  plausible  humbug  of  dry  cupping  of  the  eye- 
ball. 

The  last  years  have  brought  some  antagonistic  views  to  light, 
about  the  enucleation  of  a diseased  eyeball  in  certain  cases,  to 
prevent  the  loss  by  sympathetic  ophthalmia  of  the  other  sound  eye ; 
in  regard  to  which  I will  only  say  that  every  oculist  will  be  glad 
to  learn  that  medicine  will  be  able  to  prevent  permanently  such 
a disastrous  result.  All  such  controversies  not  only  do  no  harm 
in  the  end,  but  they  are  absolutely  necessary  to  elicit  the  truth, 
and  if  they  are  conducted  in  the  sole  interest  of  the  truth,  they 
will  benefit  both  sides.  I do  not  believe  that  his  hottest,  but 
honest  opponent  will  ever  say  that  Constantine  Hering  ever  had 
any  other  aim  in  view  in  his  whole  life.  Blessed  always  be  his 
memory  among  us. 

Dr.  J.  W.  Dowling  said  : 

If  anything  could  be  added  to  the  perfect  happiness  that  exists 
in  Heaven,  I should  say  that  our  dear  old  patriarch  brother  and 
friend,  as  he  looks  down  upon  us  from  his  celestial  and  eternal 
home,  is  rendered  supremely  happy  at  listening  to  the  kind  words 
which,  with  stirring  eloquence,  have  been  spoken,  and  which 
have  come  from  the  hearts  of  warm  friends  and  admirers  to 
whom  his  memory  is  still  fresh  and  dear. 

It  seems  as  if  nothing  was  left  for  me  to  say.  Those  who  are 
my  seniors — who  have  known  him  perhaps  longer  than  I — have 
justly  sounded  his  praise,  have  pictured  his  virtues,  his  honesty, 
his  earnestness  and  zeal  in  advocating  a cause  dear  to  him,  not 
for  advantages  he  himself  derived,  but  because  of  the  benefits  it 
conferred  upon  suffering  humanity. 

This  is  not  an  occasion  for  mourning,  but  rather  of  rejoicing. 

It  is  true  he  has  left  us  ; his  earthly  remains  have  been  laid  in 
the  ground,  but  why  should  we  be  sad?  Was  he  not  with  us  half 
a score  of  years  beyond  the  allotted  time  of  man  ? Should  we  not 
rejoice  that  this  long,  this  spotless  life  had  been  one  of  usefulness 


182 


and  of  unremitting  labor  in  the  cause  he  loved  so  well — to  the  very 
last?  Should  we  not  rejoice  that  the  results  of  those  labors  of 
his  later  years  are  living,  and  will  live  to  aid  us  and  our  children 
in  the  work  to  which  our  lives  are  being  devoted  ? Should  not 
we  who  respect  and  love  him  rejoice  that  through  all  his  long  and 
active  life,  not  a truthful  word  had  ever  been  uttered  that  could 
reflect  upon  his  character  as  a man — as  a Christian — and  that  at 
the  last  his  death  was  peaceful,  calm  and  free  from  protracted 
suffering?  Should  we  not  rejoice  that  his  sorrows — for  he  had 
sorrows — sorrows  hard  to  bear,  too,  are  at  an  end,  and  that  there 
is  before  him  an  eternity  of  happiness?  For  I believe  of  such  as 
he  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 


The  following  note  was  sent  by  Dr.  B.  F.  Joslin: 

I am  prevented  by  a cold  from  being  present  at  the  meeting 
this  evening,  but  I desire  to  contribute  one  word  of  praise  to  the 
memory  of  the  illustrious  Hering. 

I wish  to  say  that  if  in  his  long  and  useful  life  he  had  but  given 
us  the  proving  of  Lachesis,  he  would  have  been  entitled  to  the 
everlasting  gratitude  of  mankind. 

Dr.  E.  Guernsey  said : 

It  is  my  misfortune  never  to  have  had  a personal  acquaintance 
with  Dr.  Hering,  but  the  magnetism  of  his  mind  was  so  diffused 
through  all  his  works,  that  a personal  acquaintance  was  hardly 
necessary  to  know  the  man.  Were  I asked  to  write  his  epitaph 
I should  say,  as  wTas  said  of  Sir  Christopher  Wren,  beneath  the 
stately  dome  of  St.  Paul,  reared  by  his  genius — Look  around 
you ! Dr.  Hering  can  have  no  nobler  epitaph  than  his  pure,  al- 
most blameless  life  and  the  broad,  catholic  spirit  and  the  earnest 
scientific  research  found  in  all  his  public  works,  which  have  placed 
him  in  the  first  rank  of  profound,  practical  thinkers  in  the  medi- 
cal world.  Aside  from  the  scientific  value  of  his  life’s  work,  we 


183 


are  forcibly  struck  with  that  spirit  of  Christian  kindness  and 
charity,  which  we  shall  all  do  well  to  imitate.  He  was,  in  every 
sense  of  the  word,  a Christian  gentleman,  and  illustrated  in  his 
life  and  writings  how  a man  can  be  truly  great  and  noble  when 
divested  of  bitterness  and  selfishness.  By  none  will  he  be  more 
deeply  mourned,  and  his  memory  held  in  greater  reverence,  than 
by  the  younger  workers  in  the  field,  who  looked  to  him  as  father 
and  friend. 

Dr.  George  S.  Norton  said  : 

Having  known  Dr.  Hering  for  several  years,  both  in  a profes- 
sional and  social  way,  it  gives  me  pleasure  to  record  my  high  ap- 
preciation of  him  as  a physician  and  as  a man.  In  his  home  life 
there  was  much  to  admire.  Wife  and  children  were  devoted  to 
him,  and  he  to  them.  His  hospitality  was  well  known,  and  it 
always  gave  him  great  satisfaction  to  see  his  friends  gathered  at 
his  table ; all  were  made  welcome,  and  all  could  not  help  but 
enjoy  those  delightful,  instructive  talks  with  the  gifted  Father 
Hering. 

One  of  his  chief  pleasures  and  relaxations  from  work  was  on 
Sunday  afternoon,  when  a circle  of  old  friends  assembled  in  his 
reception-room,  and  over  their  cigars  and  coffee  compared  ex- 
periences and  discussed  various  subjects.  Neither  hot,  cold,  nor 
stormy  weather  interfered  with  those  social  gatherings. 

Of  his  investigations  and  teachings  of  our  Homoeopathic  Ma- 
teria Medica,  I need  not  speak,  as  his  extensive  knowledge,  dili- 
gent researches,  and  practical  additions  in  this  important  depart- 
ment of  medicine  are  known  to  you  all — yes,  not  only  to  us,  but 
to  all,  every  land  and  every  clime,  who  have  studied  the  law  of 
similia.  It  therefore  seems  to  me  as  if  the  most  comprehensive 
and  fitting  eulogy  to  his  worth  is  expressed  in  the  words,  Con- 
stantine Hering,  a Father  to  Homoeopathy. 


184 


Dr.  Alfred  K.  Hills  said : 

Mr.  President , Ladies  and  Gentlemen : 

It  is  with  no  small  degree  of  effort  and  embarrassment  that  I 
attempt  to  find  words  in  which  to  express  my  respect  for  one  so 
great  as  he  in  whose  memory  we  meet  to-night. 

As  we  younger  members  of  the  profession  glance  reflectively 
over  such  a life  as  that  of  our  late  colleague,  it  inspires  us  to 
greater  energy  in  the  living  of  our  own.  His  was  filled  not  only 
with  the  most  industrious  effort,  but  he  gave  freely  of  what  he 
had  and  without  the  asking,  to  all  those  who  chose  to  avail  them- 
selves of  the  results  of  his  researches. 

With  him  nothing  professional  was  secret,  could  not  possibly 
be  kept  as  such,  and  he  had  the  greatest  abhorrence  for  any  who 
attempted  this  practice.  His  precept  always  was,  make  every- 
thing known  that  may  by  a possibility  be  of  service  to  another. 
We  could  scarcely  find  his  equal  in  the  world  of  science  as  a 
student,  and  few  have  originated  more  than  he. 

What  greater  epitaph  could  be  placed  over  his  resting-place 
than  the  words  “ Lachesis,”  “ Glonoine,”  and  the  “ Guiding  Symp- 
toms of  our  Materia  Medica.”  Certainly  no  one  individual  could 
hope  for  more  than  this  would  express. 

Our  appreciation  of  his  devotion  to  that  cause  which  we  all 
hold  so  dear,  justly  emphasized  by  many,  cannot  be  repeated  too 
often  for  those  who  love  and  cherish  his  memory. 

Let  us,  therefore,  emulate  his  example  in  our  faithfulness,  and 
then  we  may  hope  for  that  reward  which  is  vouchsafed  only  to 
such. 

Remarks  of  Dr.  L.  Hallock : 

Dr.  Constantine  Hering  may,  I think,  be  regarded  as  next  to 
Hahnemann  in  the  value  and  amount  of  his  labors  for  the  inter- 
ests of  Homoeopathy. 

Every  reader  of  the  periodic  literature  of  our  school  must  have 


185 


been  surprised  at  the  number  and  variety  of  his  contributions. 
Nothing  but  talents  of  the  highest  order,  united  with  earnest 
zeal  and  untiring  industry,  could  have  furnished  so  many  and  so 
valuable  practical  essays  as  he  has  given  to  the  profession. 
Besides  his  large  and  systematic  works,  the  numerous  additions 
to  our  Materia  Medica  furnished  by  his  incessant  labors,  have 
placed  our  school  under  lasting  obligation  to  respect  and  honor 
his  memory.  Among  these  additions  Lachesis  has  long  been 
prominent  as  one  of  the  most  valuable  remedies  at  our  command. 
More  recently  his  elaborate  and  minute  articles  on  the  history, 
effects  and  therapeutic  value  of  Lyssin  evince  an  amount  of 
patient  research  and  self-denying  devotion  truly  surprising  in  one 
so  occupied  in  active  professional  duties.  The  thoroughness  of 
his  work  is  well  illustrated  in  the  extended  pathogenesis  of  this 
potent  remedy  by  experiments  upon  himself  as  well  as  others, 
until,  as  he  expressed  it,  “terrible  forebodings”  warned  him  of 
the  danger  of  further  trials.  Such  bold  and  self-sacrificing 
labors  for  science  and  humanity  certainly  deserve  our  admira- 
tion and  gratitude.  The  writings  of  Dr.  Hering  seem  designed 
to  be  clear,  forcible  and  practical,  and  when  from  their  frequent 
novelty  and  boldness  they  were  sometimes  received  with  adverse 
or  doubting  criticism,  were  defended  with  the  energy  and  ability 
of  conscious  integrity. 

Remarks  of  Dr.  E.  Carleton,  Jr. : 

Mr.  President: — In  response  to  your  request  to  speak,  I will 
offer  my  humble  tribute  to  the  character  of  our  departed  friend, 
by  saying  that  I felt  love  and  reverence  for  him. 

I remember,  as  if  it  were  but  yesterday,  the  first  time  we  met. 
It  was  in  his  office  as  physician  and  patient.  He  stood  and 
looked  at  me  calmly,  while  I related  my  symptoms.  Then, 
silently  turning  to  his  desk,  he  prepared  three  powders  and 
handed  them  to  me,  with  directions.  1 left  him  in  wonder,  for  my 
case  had  troubled  the  physician  who  had  sent  me,  and  I had  ex- 


186 


pected  a long  search.  The  remedy  produced  a violent  aggra- 
vation, and  I recollect  that  wonder  temporarily  gave  place  to  a 
state  of  mind  akin  to  resentment.  Recovery  followed,  and  so 
did  my  promised  report  to  the  doctor.  The  recital  of  the  success 
of  his  prescription  caused  his  face  to  smile  all  over,  which  ended 
with  a hearty,  genial  laugh,  and  he  said,  “that  was  al-o-es;  it 
was  low;  it  was  the  five  hundredth.”  Then  seating  himself  and 
motioning  me  to  a chair,  he  went  on  to  relate  how  he  had  suffered 
similarly  when  proving  the  drug,  and  made  me  promise  to  write 
out  and  give  to  him  a history  of  the  case,  which  I afterwards  did, 
and  informed  me  that  the  medicine  had  been  potentized  for  him 
by  Doctor  Fincke,  from  a choice  bit  of  crude  material  furnished 
by  himself.  He  then  enlisted  me  in  the  search  for  a pure  drug 
that  he  had  not  been  able  to  procure,  for  a proving.  When  we 
parted,  I had  learned  to  place  a high  estimate  upon  him.  He 
was  a noble  man. 

Soon  after  that,  we  met  again  in  the  college  lecture-room,  as 
professor  and  student  of  medicine.  His  subject  was  Natrum 
muriaticum ; and  as  the  golden  words  fell  from  his  lips,  I made 
every  endeavor  to  preserve  and  profit  by  them.  It  was  my  good 
fortune  to  hear  his  lectures  upon  various  drugs,  which  in  the 
hands  of  many  prescribers  have  verified  the  provings,  and  demon- 
strated his  sagacity  in  arranging  them.  I have  often  thought  of 
him  when  difficulties  would  beset  me  in  the  sick-room  ; and  I 
know  that  his  contributions  to  our  literature  have  enabled  me  to 
save  lives.  For  this  his  memory  is  sacred  to  me. 

But,  sir,  I must  not  detain  you  with  extended  remarks.  You 
do  not  care  to  hear  more  of  my  personal  experiences.  It  is 
enough  to  say  that  I loved  and  revered  Constantine  Hering ; and 
when  he  died,  I felt  that  I had  lost  one  of  my  best  friends. 

Dr.  Edward  Bayard  was  appointed  delegate  to  the 
memorial  meeting  to  be  held  in  Philadelphia  on  the 
evening  of  October  10th,  and  then  the  meeting  adjourned. 


187 


PHILADELPHIA  MEMORIAL  MEETING. 

A large  meeting  was  held  on  Sunday  evening,  October 
10th,  1880,  at  the  Hahnemann  Medical  College,  Dr.  John 
K.  Lee  presiding. 

On  motion,  Dr.  Charles  Mohr  was  appointed  Secretary. 

After  numerous  letters  and  telegrams  were  read  from 
physicians  in  many  neighboring  cities,  expressing  regret 
at  their  inability  to  be  present  at  the  Philadelphia  memo- 
rial meeting,  the  following  report  was  submitted  on  be- 
half of  the  County  Society  : 

The  Homoeopathic  Medical  Society  of  the  County  of  Phila- 
delphia, uniting  with  the  friends  of  Homoeopathy  and  medical 
progress  everywhere,  in  mourning  the  departure  of  our  late 
honorary  member,  Constantine  Hering,  M.D.,  offers  this  tribute 
of  respect  to  his  memory. 

We  recognize  in  the  decease  of  Dr.  Hering  the  loss  of  one  pre- 
eminently adapted  by  nature  and  education  to  be  a leader  in  the 
early  struggles  and  sacrifices  of  a new  medical  dispensation. 
Cultured  in  literature  and  in  general  science,  learned  in  all  the 
medical  wisdom  of  the  allopathic  fathers,  careful  in  the  formation 
of  his  opinions,  zealous  for  the  advancement  of  his  chosen  pro- 
fession and  ambitious  to  excel  in  the  practice  of  his  art,  we  yet 
find  him  fearlessly  investigating  the  principles  of  a new  system, 
accepting  without  reserve  and  without  hesitation  the  overwhelm- 
ing testimony  to  the  truth  of  Homoeopathy,  flingiug  aside  the 
temptations  of  professional  honor  and  political  preferment,  fear- 
lessly asserting  his  “liberty  of  medical  opinion  and  action”  in 
the  presence  of  an  arrogant  and  intolerable  profession  and  in  the 
face  of  his  king,  and  deliberately  casting  his  lot  with  the  derided 
and  persecuted  pioneers  of  a new  and  hated  system,  devoting  all 
his  talents  and  energies  to  the  perfection  and  dissemination  of 


188 


the  newly-discovered  art  of  healing,  laboring  with  heart  and 
hand  and  brain  for  its  establishment  over  a whole  continent; 
unswerving  in  his  adherence  to  its  teachings,  unflinching  in  its 
defence  and  untiring  in  all  labors  for  its  advancement ; he  seemed 
ever  to  realize  that  he  had  been  raised  up  for  this,  his  heaven- 
appointed  work.  We  rejoice  that  he  was  permitted  to  witness 
the  vast  results,  towards  which  his  own  herculean  labors  had 
so  largely  contributed, — the  shaken  foundations  of  the  old  medi- 
cal superstructure,  the  triumphant  vindication  of  the  once  de- 
spised system  of  Hahnemann,  the  establishment  of  its  hospitals, 
its  colleges  and  its  journals,  the  organization  of  its  societies  over 
the  whole  civilized  world,  and  the  spread  of  its  beneficent  influ- 
ence by  thousands  of  educated  physicians  into  millions  of  homes. 

We,  his  fellow  members  of  this  Society,  among  whom  he 
walked  and  taught  and  labored  for  so  many  years,  who  enjoyed 
his  intimate  personal  acquaintance  and  counsel,  are  proud  to 
express  our  appreciation  of  his  personal  character,  and  his 
abounding  services  in  the  cause  of  progressive  medicine — the 
cause  of  suffering  humanity.  We  shall  ever  hold  his  name,  his 
work  and  his  worth  in  warmest  remembrance,  and  our  posterity 
will  rise  up  to  do  him  honor. 

As  expressive  of  the  feelings  of  the  Faculty  of  the 
Hahnemann  Medical  College,  the  following  was  commu- 
nicated by  Dr.  0.  B.  Gause,  Registrar : 

We  have  contemplated  the  death  of  our  venerable  friend  and 
co-laborer,  Constantine  Hering,  M.D.,  Emeritus  Professor  of 
Homoeopathic  Institutes  and  Materia  Medica,  with  unfeigned 
sorrow,  believing  that  the  Hahnemann  Medical  College  has  lost 
its  brightest  light,  and  the  homoeopathic  school  its  most  profound 
and  learned  exponent. 

Dr.  Edward  Bayard,  of  New  York,  upon  being  intro- 


189 


duced,  made  a few  remarks,  expressing  his  deep  venera- 
tion for  the  man  in  whose  honor  this  memorial  meeting 
was  held,  and,  referring  to  his  address  before  the  New 
York  Society  and  the  character  of  its  meeting,  begged  to 
be  excused  from  further  remarks. 

Dr.  C.  Pearson,  of  Washington,  D.  C.,  was  next  intro- 
duced, wTho  responded  as  follows : 

It  was  not  my  good  fortune  to  be  as  intimately  acquainted  with 
the  deceased  as  many  who  may  be  present  this  evening,  but  my 
acquaintance  was  sufficient  to  induce  me  to  travel  over  a hundred 
miles  to  meet  with  you,  his  more  immediate  neighbors,  on  this 
memorial  occasion,  and  to  deplore  with  you  the  worth  we  have 
lost.  That  Dr.  Hering  should  not  live  longer  in  the  body  was 
not  at  all  strange,  for  eighty  years  he  had  seen  the  seasons  come 
and  go,  over  half  a century  he  had  devoted  to  the  relief  of  suffer- 
ing humanity,  he  had  heard  the  call  for  help  come  up  from  a 
thousand  tongues,  and  in  response  to  this,  he  had  endured  the 
summer’s  heat  and  the  storms  of  winter.  With  the  key  of  energy 
and  application,  and  the  lamp  of  knowledge,  he  penetrated  the 
arcana  of  nature,  and  searched  through  her  storehouse  for  the 
hidden  remedy,  which,  when  discovered,  became  the  property  of 
the  entire  world ; his  humanity  was  co-extensive  with  the  race, 
which  he  left  wiser  and  better  for  his  having  lived,  and  thought — 

A life  thus  long  for  others’  comfort  spent, 

Is  human  nature’s  grandest  monument. 

The  end  is  not  yet,  Hering  still  lives,  like  the  dynamic  property 
of  his  Lachesis ; and  a hundred  years  hence  the  child  will  be  born 
that  will  bless  his  name  for  the  relief  this  medicine  affords. 

But  he  has  gone  to  that  great  institution  of  learning,  where  we, 
his  pupils,  will,  ere  long,  like  irregular  school  boys,  be  dropping 
in  one  by  one. 


190 


And  who  then  shall  say  so  much  of  us?  No  one;  and  yet  I 
hope  it  may  be  justly  said  of  each  and  all,  that  we  contributed 
our  mite  of  influence  to  that  reform  in  medicine  which  portends 
to  the  afflicted  a brighter  and  happier  day. 

But  while  we  aspire  to  this,  let  us  not  forget  that  change  is  not 
always  improvement,  that  belief  is  only  temporal,  while  truths 
are  eternal,  that  these  are  the  golden  particles  that  glitter  in  the 
sands  of  time,  and  the  friction  of  years  but  adds  to  their  lustre. 
If  we  cannot  furnish  another  to  that  cluster  of  diamonds  Hahne- 
mann discovered,  and  Hering  cut  and  set  in  his  starry  crown,  let 
us  not  wilfully  or  ignorantly  tarnish  their  brightness.  If  we  at- 
tempt to  travel  the  road  they  trod,  let  us  be  careful  which  end 
we  take,  for  they  certainly  lead  to  opposite  results,  and  it  is  better 
to  be  right  with  a minority,  than  with  the  majority  wrong. 

Four  score  years  is  a ripe  age  to  attain,  and  yet  it  is  far  too 
short  to  reform  a world ; truth  is  of  slow  growth,  and  requires 
care  and  painstaking,  and  if  it  rise  again  when  “crushed  to 
earth,”  more  than  one  generation  may  be  required  for  it  to  do  so. 

Those  truths  then  left  us  by  Hahnemann,  and  so  ably  promul- 
gated by  Hering,  Boenninghausen  and  other  pioneers  gone  be- 
fore, should  be  guarded  by  us  with  zealous  care,  and  as  we  too 
will  soon  pass  to  “ that  bourne  from  whence  no  traveler  returns,” 
may  the  young  men  who  succeed  us  realize  that  “ truth  is  ever 
the  same,  that  time  alters  it  not,  nor  is  it  the  better  or  worse  for 
being  of  either  ancient  or  modern  tradition.” 

It  may  be  possible  that  no  improvement  could  be  suggested  on 
the  order  of  nature,  but  in  some  respects  it  seems  unfortunate 
that  the  knowledge  and  experience  accumulated  during  a long 
life  of  patient  industry,  could  not  be  bequeathed  to  others  to  be 
used,  and  added  to  during  their  natural  lives,  and  then  to  pass 
like  a landed  estate  to  the  next  of  kin ; but  this  seems  not  to  be 
a part  of  the  programme,  or  panorama  of  human  life,  but  who- 
ever would  excel  in  knowledge  and  usefulness  must  do  so  by  his 
own  individual  efforts.  And  however  economical  of  time,  his 
life,  however  protracted,  will  be  too  short  to  attain  perfection. 


191 


We  are  only  prospectors  in  the  field  of  science.  One  finds  a 
treasure  here,  another  there,  these  become  the  support  of  the 
indolent,  the  wealth  of  the  wise,  and  the  sport  of  the  ignorant ; 
the  patient  toiler  in  the  mine  of  knowledge  is  rarely  appreciated, 
few  take  him  by  the  hand  and  bid  him  God  speed — he  is  called 
visionary,  foolishly  demented.  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds  says : 
“ present  and  future  time  may  be  regarded  as  rivals,  and  he  who 
solicits  the  one,  must  expect  to  be  discountenanced  by  the  other,” 
and  as  men  are  the  creatures  of  the  age  in  which  they  live,  not 
its  creators,  it  is  not  difficult  to  see  why  they  should  desire,  and 
court  the  flattery  and  commendation  of  their  own  times  more 
than  that  of  succeeding  ages ; for  with  such  tenacity  does  mind 
cling  to  the  dead  traditions  of  the  past,  that  the  iconoclast  is 
rarely  popular  during  his  lifetime ; but  it  is  the  bold  adventurer 
on  unknown  seas  that  tells  us  of  other  continents,  and  future  ages 
build  his  monument. 

“So  runs  the  world  away.” 

“We  are  such  stuff 

As  dreams  are  made  of,  and  our  little  life 

Is  rounded  with  a sleep.” 

It  is  unfortunate  that  amongst  the  unnumbered  millions 

“ That  strut  and  fret  their  hour  on  the  stage 

And  then  are  heard  no  more,” 

so  many  should  be  “poor  players,”  hence  when  “after  life’s  fitful 
fever”  a good  man  “sleeps  well,”  it  becomes  so  difficult  to  supply 
his  place. 

But  though  a standard-bearer  in  our  cause  has  fallen,  our  flag 
must  not  be  lowered,  and  when  we  too  shall  £iave  followed  him, 
others,  I doubt  not,  will  close  up  the  ranks,  and  still  keep  it  float- 
ing in  the  sunlight  of  eternal  truth. 

Hering’s  earth  life  is  ended,  his  conveyance  was  ready  before 
ours,  and  he  is  still  in  our  advance — we  shall  miss  him,  but 


192 


“ He  hates  him 

Who  upon  the  rock  of  this  rough  world 
Would  stretch  him  out  longer.” 

The  night  dew  that  falls  though  in  silence  it  weeps, 
Will  brighten  with  verdure  the  grave  where  he  sleeps; 
And  the  tear  that  we  shed  though  in  silence  it  rolls, 
Will  long  keep  his  memory  green  in  our  souls. 


Dr.  Ad.  Lippe  then  rose  and  spoke  as  follows : 

Like  children  who  have  lost  their  father,  we  meet  here  this 
evening  to  express  our  grief  over  the  loss  wTe  suffered  by  the 
death  of  Dr.  Constantine  Hering. 

As  mourning  children  we  vividly  remember  what  the  departed 
was  to  all  of  us,  we  remember  how  he  instructed  us,  how  he 
taught  us  by  precept  and  example  the  way  to  obtain  a perfect 
knowledge  of  the  healing  art,  how  he  advised  us  to  study  the 
writings  of  Samuel  Hahnemann,  and  we  remember  with  grati- 
tude his  ceaseless  labors  in  the  field  of  Materia  Medica. 

Dr.  Hering  was  chosen  among  many  able  medical  students  at 
Leipzig  to  write  a pamphlet,  and  in  it  to  expose  the  follies  and 
absurdities  of  a new  system  of  therapeutics  by  Samuel  Hahne- 
mann, and  with  that  honesty  of  purpose  which  always  guided 
him  through  life  he  undertook  that  task;  his  first  step  was  to 
study  Hahnemann’s  Organon  of  the  Healing  Art,  and  then  he 
tried  the  correctness  or  the  falsity  of  his  teachings  by  the  ex- 
periment. 

The  only  true  test,  the  experiment,  convinced  him  that  the 
follies  and  absurdities  of  the  prevailing  allopathic  school  of  medi- 
cine were  exposed  by  Hahnemann,  that  a rational  system  of  the 
healing  art  was  revealed  to  the  world  by  him.  Homoeopathy 
but  slowly  gained  ground  in  those  days.  The  medical  student 
who  in  1824,  dared  to  declare  his  conviction  of  the  truth  of  the 
superiority  of  Homoeopathy  over  all  known  systems  of  medi- 
cine had  to  be  a brave  and  fearless  man.  Persecution  followed 


193 


Dr.  Hering  at  once,  his  friend  and  preceptor  who  had  ex- 
pected him  to  ridicule  and  demolish  Homoeopathy,  summarily 
dismissed  him,  distressing  privations  followed,  but  his  faith  was 
firm,  it  was  not  to  be  shaken  by  early  personal  adversities,  no 
more  than  the  progressive  development  of  Homoeopathy  could  be 
retarded  by  innumerable  adversities  and  persecutions  which  all 
the  early  adherents  of  it  had  to  suffer.  Finally,  Dr.  Hering 
bravely  overcame  all  these  obstacles  and  he  found  a true  friend 
in  the  late  Professor  Schoenlein,  the  father  of 'a  well  classified 
pathology,  and  protected  by  him  the  young  student  graduated 
at  Wurzburg.  After  teaching  natural  sciences  and  mathematics 
at  Blochmann’s  Institute  at  Dresden  he  obtained  an  appoint- 
ment from  the  Saxon  government  as  naturalist.  We  find  him 
at  Surinam  making  collections  for  the  museum  of  the  Academy 
of  Natural  Sciences  at  Dresden.  As  an  eminent  naturalist  the 
Saxon  government  provided  for  him,  but  he  was,  almost  against 
his  will,  compelled  to  practice  the  healing  art  in  Surinam.  The 
Saxon  government  claimed  all  his  time  to  be  devoted  to  his  ap- 
pointment as  their  naturalist  and  were  displeased  with  his  prac- 
tice and  the  papers  published  by  him  in  the  homoeopathic  journals ; 
he  had  himself  dismissed  from  the  government  service  and  was 
again  thrown  on  his  own  resources.  It  was  there  and  then  that 
Dr.  Hering  obtained  the  few  drops  of  the  poison  of  the  Trigono- 
cephalus  Lachesis,  there  and  then  he  published  the  first  provings 
of  this  poison  on  the  healthy  and  earned  the  everlasting  gratitude 
of  the  profession  who  thereby  were  enabled  to  cure  sicknesses 
formerly  considered  incurable. 

Again  we  find  him  devoted  to  the  teaching  of  the  healing  art 
at  the  Allentown  Academy,  the  first  public  institution  of  the 
kind  chartered  by  a liberal  government.  The  unselfish,  self- 
sacrificing  apostle,  regardless  of  his  own  individual  interests,  but 
resolved  to  fulfil-his  self-chosen  mission  to  its  full  extent,  accepted 
a much  smaller  compensation  for  his  laborious  work  to  which  he 
devoted  all  his  time  and  energies,  than  was  accorded  forty  years 
later  to  the  Secretary  of  the  American  Institute  of  Homoeopathy. 
13 


194 


The  teaching  of  students  of  medicine,  the  publishing  of  Hahne- 
mann’s Organon  and  a Materia  Medica  with  a Repertory  in  the 
English  language,  the  proving  of  drugs  and  the  publication  of 
the  medicinal  virtues  of  Trigonocephalus  Lachesig  occupied  his 
time.  He  had  finally  the  gratification  to  see  the  diplomas  con- 
ferred by  the  Allentown  Academy  on  its  graduates,  the  first 
homoeopathic  diplomas  ever  conferred,  accepted  at  home  and 
abroad.  Dr.  Wahle  presented  this  diploma  to  the  Papal  govern- 
ment when  he  came  to  seek  permission  to  practice  in  Rome,  and 
the  Pope  himself  accepted  this  diploma  and  gave  him  the  re- 
quested permission  to  practice  Homoeopathy  in  the  Papal  States. 
Later,  Dr.  Hering  returned  to  Philadelphia  after  Dr.  William 
Wesselhoeft  had  been  appointed  President  of  the  Allentown 
Academy.  With  a large  clientage  he  found  in  Philadelphia, 
this  indefatigable  man  added  much  to  the  further  development 
of  our  healing  art  by  the  proving  of  new  remedies  and  by  per- 
fecting and  re-arranging  many  proven  ones.  Not  less  active  was 
he  in  guarding  our  school  against  innovations  and  perversions. 
Many  posological  papers  were  published  by  him  in  the  homoeo- 
pathic journals,  his  witty  sarcasm  silencing  those  who  tried  to 
modernize  Hahnemann’s  plain  teachings.  He  never  rejected,  a 
priori,  apparently  advanced  ideas  till  he  had  patiently  investi- 
gated the  proferred  claims  of  their  superiority  over  the  estab- 
lished principles  and  rules  accepted  by  the  early  followers  of 
Hahnemann,  but  when  no  convincing  proof  of  the  correctness  of 
such  innovations  could  be  established,  either  by  argument  or  by 
the  test  of  the  experiment,  his  powerful  pen  was  brought  into 
requisition  and  he  very  soon  silenced  these  bold  writers.  One 
of  his  last  acts  wTas  the  signing  of  a paper  declaring  his  unswerv- 
ing faith  in  the  essential  principles  of  Homoeopathy,  and  finally 
saying : “ If  our  school  ever  gives  up  the  strict  inductive  method 
of  Hahnemann  we  are  lost,  and  deserve  to  be  mentioned  only  as 
a caricature  in  the  history  of  medicine.”* 


* North  American  Journal  of  Homoeopathy,  August,  1880. 


195 


As  children  who  have  here  assembled  to  mourn  the  loss  of  a 
father,  we  can  do  no  greater  honor  to  his  memory  than  to  always 
remember  this  parting  instruction  and  warning;  and,  on  this 
solemn  occasion,  let  us  resolve  never  to  depart  from  the  strict 
inductive  method  of  Hahnemann,  a method  our  departed  friend 
followed  most  faithfully  for  more  than  half  a century. 

Dr.  Henry  N.  Guernsey  then  addressed  the  meeting  as 
follows : 

Mr.  President  and  Fellow-Members  of  the  Profession: 

In  rising  to  offer  this  tribute  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  our 
departed  colleague,  allow  me  to  dwell  for  a little  while  upon  the 
early  reminiscences  of  my  acquaintance  with  him,  which  dates 
back  to  the  days  of  my  medical  pupilage. 

In  the  autumn  of  1842,  I matriculated  in  the  Pennsylvania 
Medical  College,  which  then  occupied  the  very  building  wherein 
we  are  now  assembled,  and  I soon  made  the  acquaintance  of  Mr. 
Hussman,  a fellow  student.  He  was  then  a private  pupil  of  Dr. 
Hering,  and  later  became  his  brother-in-law.  My  friend  soon 
introduced  me  to  the  distinguished  subject  of  this  memorial, 
whose  office  at  that  time,  nearly  forty  years  ago,  was  located  on 
the  northwest  corner  of  Eleventh  and  Spruce  streets.  During 
the  session,  Dr.  Hering  frequently  came  to  our  dissecting-room 
to  examine  the  abdominal  viscera  of  the  cadavera,  that  he  might 
the  better  establish  the  truth  of  some  of  his  theories. 

In  my  mind’s  eye  I now  see  as  I saw  him  then — his  erect  and 
commanding  figure,  his  eager  and  piercing  eye,  his  massive  brow, 
his  well-shaped  head  crowned  with  long,  black  hair,  and  his 
whole  appearance  so  clothed  with  dignity  as  to  render  him  ap- 
parently unapproachable. 

At  our  first  interview,  however,  I discovered  my  mistake ; for 
he  proved  so  genial,  so  friendly,  and  so  communicative,  that  we 
fraternized  at  once.  Thus,  I am  proud  to  say,  our  fraternal 
relations  continued  to  our  last  conference,  which  was  only  a few 


196 


hours  before  his  demise.  During  all  these  years  it  has  been  my 
good  fortune  to  have  free  access  to  him,  even  to  his  private  study, 
at  almost  any  hour. 

His  active  and  inquiring  mind  led  him  to  continually  search 
for,  and  gather  up,  all  facts,  particularly  if  new  and  of  recent  oc- 
currence. As  an  illustration,  I will  mention  the  following  cir- 
cumstance. A short  time  after  I had  located  in  Frankford,  I 
was  quite  astonished  to  find  Dr.  Hering  at  my  door,  early  one 
morning,  inquiring  for  the  residence  of  a person  who  had  been 
stung  by  a bee,  whose  sufferings  had  been  published  in  the  daily 
papers.  I at  once  took  him  in  my  carriage  to  the  house  of  the 
sufferer,  where  he  carefully  noted  down  every  fact  and  symptom 
developed  by  the  bee-sting.  This  case  proved  of  great  value  in 
making  up  the  pathogenesis  of  Apis  mellifica,  but  it  cost  Dr. 
Hering  the  fatigue  of  a sixteen -mile  drive,  beside  the  loss  of  time 
to  his  professional  duties  of  nearly  the  whole  day.  We  all  know 
the  value  of  time  to  a physician  in  full  practice.  But  for  him, 
when  in  quest  of  knowledge,  everything  else  had  to  give  way ; 
time,  money,  strength,  sleep,  and  all  else  were  sacrificed  for  the 
sake  of  science  and  Homoeopathy.  “ Anything  and  everything 
for  our  cause,”  as  he  was  often  heard  to  say. 

Dr.  Hering,  as  consulting  physician,  has  many  times  driven  to 
Frankford  to  advise  me  on  a bad  case  of  sickness. 

How  mightily  he  would  apply  himself  to  find  the  proper 
remedy  ? 

He  never  resorted  to  any  make-shift ; but,  firmly  relying  upon 
the  unfailing  law  of  the  Similars,  he  would  persevere  until  the 
true  Similimum  was  found,  and  the  cure  effected.  As  an  inva- 
riable rule,  the  more  dangerous  the  case,  the  more  mightily  would 
he  apply  himself  to  the  letter  and  spirit  of  the  law  bequeathed  to 
us  by  Samuel  Hahnemann. 

After  my  removal  into  the  city  proper,  in  1856,  the  frequency 
of  my  visits  to  him  increased,  while  my  confidence  in  and  reli- 
ance upon  my  dear  old  friend’s  judgment,  were  vastly  heightened. 
His  abiding  faith  in  the  true  law  of  cure  wTas  exemplified  in  the 


197 


treatment  of  his  own  person  and  of  his  family,  when  ill,  as  well 
as  in  the  treatment  of  all  his  patients.  Everybody  was  treated 
according  to  the  same  principles,  and  everybody  shared  equally 
with  him  one  of  the  greatest  blessings  a merciful  Heaven  has  ever 
vouchsafed  to  mankind. 

I will  briefly  refer  to  one  or  two  of  the  many  instances,  which 
might  be  cited,  to  illustrate  this  point.  Some  years  ago  he  suf- 
fered from  a very  painful  attack  of  hemorrhoids,  which  confined 
him  to  his  bed.  Hr.  Lippe  prescribed  Causticum6m,  one  dose,  and 
admonished  him  to  await  the  action  of  the  drug  for  three  days. 
The  improvement  appearing  but  slight,  as  the  prescribed  time 
drew  near  its  close,  he  began  to  doubt  that  the  true  similimum 
had  been  found ; so,  he  took  up  his  books  and  brought  his  own 
great  mind  to  bear  upon  the  search  for  a remedy.  Finding  no 
better  one,  he  concluded  to  await  the  full  expiration  of  the  time 
as  agreed  upon.  Soon  afterwards  he  fell  into  a sweet  sleep,  last- 
ing several  hours,  from  which  he  awoke,  well.  He  enjoyed  tell- 
ing of  this  triumph  of  the  single  dose  and  the  high  potency,  as 
an  encouragement  for  all  true  healers  to  go  and  do  likewise. 
Again,  when  one  of  his  daughters  was  very  ill  with  diphtheria, 
by  my  advice  he  had  given  a single  dose  of  Lachesis,  which  was 
followed  by  so  little  improvement  in  twenty-four  hours,  that  he 
was  sorely  tempted  to  either  repeat  the  dose  or  change  the  remedy. 
But,  as  the  little  patient  was  no  worse,  he  concluded  to  wait 
twelve  hours  longer,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  he  had  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  her  greatly  improved.  He  was  ever  faith- 
ful to  the  true  cause  he  loved  so  well,  because,  he  believed  it  to  be 
true ! As  with  all  true  men,  believing  with  him  was  synony- 
mous with  doing. 

About  seventeen  years  ago  Dr.  Ad.  Lippe  was  greatly  pros- 
trated by  an  attack  of  typhoid  fever.  So  fearfully  did  the  dis- 
ease rage  that  I feared  he  would  not  recover.  As  was  my  custom 
in  all  such  bad  cases,  I repaired  to  Dr.  Hering,  who  had  not  yet 
seen  the  case,  and  told  him  my  fears.  Dr.  Hering  suddenly 
dropped  his  pen,  and,  giving  me  one  of  his  searching  looks, 


198 


apparently  to  see  if  I was  in  earnest,  said  with  great  emphasis, 
“ Dr.  Lippe  must  not  die  yet ! I will  go  with  you.”  For  over  an 
hour,  with  book  in  hand,  he  applied  his  great  mind  to  the  case 
and  finally  declared  “Silicea  is  the  remedy.”  Drs.  P.  P.  Wells 
and  the  late  Carroll  Dunham,  who  had  been  summoned,  came  in 
later  and  confirmed  the  wisdom  of  their  teacher’s  choice — for 
they,  too,  had  taken  their  first  lessons  in  Homoeopathy  from  Dr. 
Constantine  Hering.  Silicea  stayed  the  ravages  of  the  fever;  its 
subject  made  a rapid  recovery,  and  Dr.  Lippe  stands  among  us 
to-night,  a living  monument  of  one  of  Dr.  Hering’s  good  works. 

And  so  it  ever  was  with  our  lamented  father  of  Homoeopathy 
in  this  country.  I never  knew  him  to  deviate  from  the  true  line 
of  action  in  his  efforts  to  heal  the  sick  or  to  relieve  the  dying. 
F or  he  knew  this  to  be  the  best,  and  indeed  the  only  safe  means 
that  could  be  employed. 

Dr.  Hering,  above  all  men  in  our  ranks,  best  understood  the 
art  of  acquiring  wealth,  that  real  wealth  which  far  transcends 
the  value  of  such  material  dross  as  gold  or  silver.  Look  at  his 
Lachesis ! Is  not  this  alone  a work  worth  living  a lifetime  to 
accomplish  ? Surely  it  would  be  a sufficient  consolation  at  the 
close  of  any  one’s  life  to  be  able  to  say,  “ I have  done  thus  much 
for  the  good  of  humanity.” 

Dr.  Hering’s  note  book  was  always  at  hand,  and  ever  and  anon, 
wherever  he  might  be  or  with  whomsoever  conversing,  he  jotted 
down  observations,  precious  “ nuggets”  as  it  were,  to  be  deposited 
in  his  big  strong  box  so  soon  as  he  had  retired  to  his  private  study. 
As  yet,  only  a few  peeps  into  that  box  have  been  granted  to  his 
heirs, — for,  are  not  we  his  heirs,  and  are  we  not  to  receive  our 
respective  shares  of  his  valuable  legacy,  pro  bono  publico  f And 
we  trust  this  will  all  be  dealt  out  to  us,  in  good  time,  by  the 
publication  of  his  invaluable  work,  “ The  Guiding  Symptoms.” 

Never  did  the  slightest  feeling  of  jealousy  cross  his  mind.  If 
any  of  his  patients  became  restive  and  called  upon  other  physi- 
cians, his  first  inquiry,  on  missing  them,  was,  “ Where  have  they 
gone  ? If  to  another  homoeopathic  physician,  then  I am  satisfied ; 


199 


there  is  no  loss,  but  rather  a gain  to  our  cause.”  He  was  large- 
hearted  and  liberal,  seeming  to  take  in  the  whole  profession  as 
. one  man  and  considered  himself  as  one  of  the  least. 

As  an  observer,  none  equalled  him.  On  entering  the  sick 
• room,  for  instance,  his  all-seeing  eyes  took  in  at  once  the  condi- 
tion of  things  and  his  mind  had  often  decided  upon  the  proper 
course  to  pursue  before  a question  had  been  asked ; his  interro- 
gations, later,  were  often  more  to  confirm  and  place  on  record 
than  to  elicit  facts  for  decision.  Intuition  was  a powerful 
element  in  his  mind,  and  this  was  cultivated  to  a high  degree  by 
his  truthfulness  of  character,  and  his  good  thoughts  and  feelings 
toward  every  one  he  knew.  He  never  plotted  evil  and  never 
sought  revenge,  but  was  as  innocent  minded  as  a child.  He 
reached  out  in  all  directions  for  truth,  and  wherever  his  investi- 
gations extended,  all  Nature  seemed  to  yield  up  her  treasures  to 
him,  for  she  found  no  corrupt  or  opposing  influences  in  his 
mind  to  operate  against  her.  Truth  ever  responds  to  the  true- 
minded  truth  seeker ; and  never  was  she  better  treated,  never 
less  perverted,  than  by  Constantine  Hering. 

But  his  race  is  run  and  he  has  left  us.  He  was  almost  the 
last  one  of  Samuel  Hahnemann’s  pupils  who  remained  upon 
this  earth.  Hahnemann  and  his  faithful  cotemporaries  are  now 
reunited  in  a nearly  completed  phalanx,  to  stand  enshrined  in 
our  memories  as  the  noblest  representatives  of  the  cause  they 
lived  for  in  this  world.  It  was  a needful  and  an  orderly  step 
that  our  good  doctor  should  go  to  the  end,  that  he  might  become 
more  fully  conjoined  to,  and  continue  and  labor  with  those  faith- 
ful and  powerful  allies  on  the  other  side.  And  he  departed, 
was  almost  translated,  in  the  Lord’s  own  good  time,  and  now  we 
may  reasonably  expect  a fuller,  a more  powerful  and  a more 
general  display  of  the  real  Hahnemannian  principles  than  ever 
before. 

Let  us  profit  by  his  example  and  cherish  in  our  memories  the 
truths  which  came  worded  from  his  tongue. 


200 


Dr.  Robert  J.  McClatchey  being  called  upon  spoke  as 
follows : 

If  I have  a proper  understanding  of  the  object  and  scope  of 
this  meeting,  it  is  to  afford  an  opportunity  to  those  who  loved 
and  who  revere  the  memory  of  Dr.  Constantine  Hering,  to  testify 
their  respect  for  his  memory,  and,  at  the  same  time,  to  give  evi- 
dence in  some  way  of  their  appreciation  of  his  character  as  a 
man  and  as  a physician ; so  that  by  the  contributions  thus  made 
the  world  may  be  able  to  know  what  was  thought  of  our  departed 
friend,  by  those  who  knew  him  best,  and  who  are  most  capable 
of  estimating  him  at  a proper  value. 

Upwards  of  thirty  years  ago,  Dr.  Hering  wrote  as  follows, 
in  an  article  entitled,  “Requisites  for  a Correct  Estimation  of 
Hahnemann,”  published  in  the  Hygea :*  “If  we  would  form  an 
estimate  of  a man  who  belongs  to  history,  an  estimate  which 
shall  itself  lay  claim  to  a place  in  history,  and  rise  above  the 
fleeting  interest  of  ephemeral  productions,  we  must  found  it  upon 
a full  consideration  of  the  whole  life  and  labors  of  him  to  whom 
it  relates.” 

“Thus  should  the  historian  accompany  his  hero  to  the  time 
when  a friendly  beckoning  hand  withdraws  him  from  things 
without,  his  senses  close  to  page  and  speech,  unfold  to  sources  of 
joy  and  hope,  and  he  departs,  at  peace  with  himself,  with  God 
and  with  the  mantled  world. 

“ Then  let  the  estimate  follow — not  in  the  work — not  penned 
by  the  laborious  biographer,  but  formed  in  the  inmost  soul  of 
him  who  shall  have  read  and  weighed  the  whole.” 

It  has  seemed  to  me  that  there  was  no  more  marked  traits  of 
Dr.  Hering’s  remarkably  pronounced  character  than  his  stead- 
fastness of  purpose,  in  his  endeavor  to  carry  out  to  the  utmost 
every  task  laid  before  him ; and  there  is,  in  my  opinion,  a unity  of 
purpose  distinguishable  through  all  his  work,  and  characterizing 
it  in  a marked  degree  as  well  as  exhibiting  this  steadfastness. 


* Hygea , v.  22,  p.  296. 


201 


Those  of  us  who  had  the  privilege  and  pleasure  of  personal 
intercourse  with  Dr.  Hering,  know  well  what  an  instructive  and 
even  fascinating  conversationalist  he  was.  And  we  know  how 
that,  while  pursuing  a subject  in  this  way,  his  vast  learning 
would  often  lead  him  away  from  the  path  that  led  directly  to  the 
subject  under  consideration,  into  what  at  a superficial  glance, 
seemed  mere  no-thoroughfares  of  thought,  that  led  no  whither,  it 
would  soon  prove  that  these  were  instead  pleasant  and  beautiful 
conversational  by-paths,  which  led  directly  into  the  main  path- 
way, and  which  had  served  simply  as  an  agreeable  and  momen- 
tary diversion,  but  not  in  any  way  distracting  attention  from  the 
end  in  view.  Even  in  such  matters  as  these,  of  every  day  occur- 
rence, and  coming  up  in  the  way  of  chance  and  every  day  con- 
versation he  exhibited  the  utmost  steadfastness  of  purpose.  How 
much  more  marked  then  might  we  expect  to  find  this  steadfast- 
ness in  his  life’s  work. 

I can  liken  Dr.  Hering’s  life  to  nothing  more  appropriately, 
I think,  than  by  comparing  it  to  a magnificent  and  grand  piece 
of  music  by  a Bach,  a Handel,  a Mendelssohn,  a Haydn,  in 
which,  whatever  variations  are  introduced  the  original  theme 
is  recognizable  throughout  and  at  all  times,  and  which  gives  to 
the  variations  their  tone,  their  key,  their  character  and  their 
power. 

The  theme  of  Dr.  Hering’s  life-music  consisted  in  his  desire 
and  striving  for  the  elevation  of  his  beloved  Homoeopathy  to  a 
position  among  the  sciences;  to  place  it  upon  a scientific  basis 
and  to  make  its  workings  those  of  an  exact  science.  Refer  to  this 
great  man’s  life  and  labors.  Consult  his  writings  as  I have  done, 
from  his  earliest  to  his  latest,  and  you  will  see,  as  I have  seen, 
that  he  had  this  constantly  in  view,  and  was  steadfast  in  his 
wish  for  its  accomplishment;  and  no  matter  into  what  no- 
thoroughfare or  byways  he  may  have  strayed,  he  never  lost  sight 
of  his  great  goal. 

There  was  nothing  meretricious  about  Dr.  Hering.  Whatever 
work  he  did  was  for  Homoeopathy  and  the  truth,  and  without 


202 


reference  to  pay  or  reward.  He  was  always  accessible  and 
always  willing  to  teach  all  who  wished  to  learn  what  he  con- 
sidered to  be  the  better  way,  but  he  never  indulged  in  that  very 
agreeable,  but  by  no  means  useful  pastime,  of  “ damning  those  he 
had  no  mind  to.”  He  afforded  the  fullest  respect  to  the  opinions 
of  others,  and  largely  for  that  reason  he  and  his  opinions  always 
commanded  respect. 

The  amount  of  work  he  did  was  simply  enormous.  He  was 
an  earnest  and  a patient  toiler,  who,  as  we  are  informed,  died 
almost  with  his  working  harness  on. 

In  his  work,  whether  in  verbal  communications,  through 
books,  or  through  journals,  he  supplied  enough  of  wisdom,  of 
learning,  and  of  other  requisites  to  make  first-class  reputations 
for  a score  or  more  of  doctors.  His  works  were  grandly  con- 
ceived and  as  grandly  executed,  and  of  course  there  was  surplus- 
age. To  him  and  his  works  are  applicable  the  words  of  Schiller: 

“ How  many  starvelings  a rich  man  can  nourish ! 

When  monarchs  build  - the  rubbish-carriers  flourish.” 

“So  then  our  Greatest  has  departed.  That  melody  of  life, 
with  its  cunning  tones,  which  took  captive  ear  and  heart,  has 
gone  silent;  the  heavenly  force  that  dwelt  here  victorious  over 
so  much,  is  here  no  longer ; thus  far,  not  farther,  by  speech  and 
by  act,  shall  the  wise  man  utter  himself  forth.  The  End ! What 
solemn  meaning  lies  in  that  sound,  as  it  peals  mournfully  through 
the  soul,  when  a living  friend  has  passed  away!  All  now  is 
closed,  irrevocable;  the  changeful  life-picture,  growing  daily  into 
new  coherence,  under  new  touches  and  hues,  has  suddenly  be- 
come completed  and  unchangeable;  there  as  it  lay,  it  is  dipped, 
from  this  moment,  in  the  sether  of  the  heavens,  and  shines  trans- 
figured, to  endure  even  so — forever.  The  week-day  man,  who 

was  one  of  us,  has  put  on  the  garments  of  Eternity  and  become 
radiant  and  triumphant.  ****** 

“ The  man  whom  we  loved  lies  in  his  grave ; but  glorious,  worthy ; 
and  his  spirit  yet  lives  in  us  with  an  authentic  life.  Could  each 


203 


here  vow  to  do  his  little  task,  even  as  the  departed  did  his  great 
one,  in  the  manner  of  a true  man ; not  for  a Day,  but  for  Eternity ! 
To  live,  as  he  counselled  and  commanded,  not  commodiously  in 
the  Reputable,  the  Plausible,  the  Half,  but  resolutely  in  the 
Whole,  the  Good,  the  True : 

llm  Ganzen,  Guten , Wahren  resolut  zu  leben  ! ’ ”* 

Dr.  Bushrod  W.  James  next  made  the  following  re- 
marks : 

Fellow-Members  of  the  Profession: 

We,  the  intimate  associates  and  friends  of  Constantine  Hering, 
M.D.,  and  residents  of  the  city  of  his  adoption,  assemble  together 
to-night,  as  do  his  friends  in  other  cities  all  over  the  land  and  the 
homoeopathic  world,  to  say  a few  words  of  meed  in  honor  and  to 
the  memory  of  a great  and  good  man. 

We  are  not  here  to  erect  a monument,  for  that  his  life  has 
done  for  us,  in  his  works,  and  writings,  and  teachings. 

His  labors  are  known,  his  virtues  need  no  further  inscription, 
his  good  qualities  of  heart  are  impressed  upon  all  he  conversed 
with,  his  professional  skill  was  undoubted,  his  steadfast  purpose 
of  benefiting  mankind  was  always  a guiding  star  in  his  life ; he 
was  always  at  his  post  of  duty/and  he  filled  the  post  allotted  to 
him  by  the  Great  Architect  of  the  Universe  with  faithfulness  and 
cheerfulness  of  disposition. 

His  mission  was  first  that  of  a standard-bearer  of  the  new  sys- 
tem, and  later  he  was  acknowledged  a superior  officer  in  the  war- 
fare of  the  medical  systems  of  the  age. 

He  lived  an  eventful  and  useful  life,  and  died  with  honors  and 
glories  surrounding  him. 

Every  age  has  its  progressive  spirits ; men  that  are  born  to 
leave  a name  inscribed  upon  the  scroll  of  time  deeply  cut  in  let- 
ters of  gold,  and  whose  acts  stand  out  in  plain  relief  and  beauty 

* On  the  Death  of  Goethe,  by  Thomas  Carlyle. 


204 


among  the  good  deeds  of  others  around  them ; our  fallen  com- 
panion was  truly  one  of  these. 

He  was  a liberal  man  in  his  prescribing,  and  was  not  bound  to 
any  excrescent  ideas ; he  read  Hahnemann’s  works  as  he  did  his 
Bible,  and  he  tested  all  that  was  there  advanced,  and  he  held 
firmly  to  all  that  was  valuable  and  useful  in  the  Organon  of  Ho- 
moeopathy, as  written  by  Dr.  Samuel  Hahnemann,  and  like  him 
was  not  afraid  to  stand  boldly  up  for  its  truths  at  all  times. 

He  was  not  one  to  fetter  the  dose  or  limit  the  repetition  or  size 
of  the  same;  he  allowed  every  physician  his  own  judgment  in 
such  matters,  and  he  unswervingly  exercised  his  own.  But  while 
thus  liberal  he  always  adhered  strictly  to  the  law  “ Similia  Simi- 
libus  Curantur,”  and  also  to  the  selection  of  the  remedy  accord- 
ing to  the  totality  of  the  symptoms. 

He  was  most  careful  in  the  proper  and  thorough  examination 
of  all  the  symptoms  of  his  patients,  no  matter  how  much  time 
and  trouble  was  involved  in  the  questioning,  knowing  that  suc- 
cess depended  on  obtaining  a true  picture  of  the  disease. 

He  believed  in  a general  knowledge  of  all  the  branches  of 
medicine  of  both  schools,  for  he  says : “ No  one  can  be  a success- 
ful disciple  of  Hahnemann  who  is  not  well  versed,  as  Hahnemann 
himself  was,  in  the  learning  of  the  medical  schools,  and  it  would 
be  just  as  impossible  for  him  to  act  judiciously  without  a knowl- 
edge of  anatomy,  physiology,  pathology,  surgery  and  materia 
medica,  together  with  chemistry,  and  botany,  as  for  a man  igno- 
rant of  navigation  and  seamanship,  to  carry  a vessel  with  safety 
into  port.” 

He  was  free  in  giving  advice  to  learners,  and  would  sit  by  the 
hour  and  converse  with  any  member  of  the  profession  who  de- 
sired to  have  the  benefit  of  his  wide  experience  with  our  homoeo- 
pathic remedies,  and  his  mature  judgment  in  the  proper  selection 
of  the  remedy  in  complicated  and  obscure  cases  was  often  thus 
sought.  Even  when  I was  a student,  I,  with  a number  of  others, 
paid  frequent  visits  to  his  house,  at  his  request,  to  hear  from  his 
lips  (without  any  desire  of  recompense),  the  unfoldings  of  the 


205 


materia  medica,  and  the  clinical  experiences  of  this  large-hearted, 
generous  disciple  of  Hahnemann. 

No  toil  was  too  arduous,  no  time  thus  spent  was  considered 
lost,  no  research  on  his  part  was  thought  burdensome,  no  careful 
study  was  left  undone  that  would  enable  him  to  present  to  stu- 
dents of  Homoeopathy  in  or  out  of  the  profession  clearly  the  doc- 
trines of  the  homoeopathic  practice. 

He  was  a constant  student  and  an  arduous  laborer  in  the  cause. 
He  fought  for  a higher  medical  education  all  his  medical  life : 
he  directed  many  a battle ; he  passed  through  the  life-work  cam- 
paign ; he  was  on  the  upper  outlook  of  the  mountain  peak  of 
knowledge  himself,  and  saw  the  desire  of  his  heart  realized,  the 
victory  won,  the  world  acknowledging  the  truths  of  Homoeopathy 
and  its  educating  influence  upon  the  profession  and  people : and 
to-day  we  place  the  laurels  upon  the  brow  of  one  of  Hahnemann’s 
most  trusty  and  worthy  generals. 

Dr.  John  C.  Morgan  pronounced  the  following  eulogy: 

Ripe,  full  of  days,  and  rich  in  worthy  doing,  so  departed  our 
friend,  our  teacher,  our  patriarch,  Dr.  Constantine  Hering;  and 
to-day,  we  would  speak  of  the  loved  and  lost. 

Deep  in  the  human  soul,  to-day,  as  ever,  survives  that  earliest 
idea  of  worship — the  homage  of  the  Past — overlaid  and  en- 
crusted, indeed,  wdth  the  material  glory  of  the  Present,  but 'warm 
and  vital,  ever  awaiting  the  artistic  touch,  the  seer’s  interpre- 
tation, or  the  tension  of  public  or  private  grief,  or  triumph,  for 
occasion  to  glow,  bright  and  beautiful,  in  the  sunlight  of  the 
human  affections. 

Are  the  Fathers  in  honor?  Then  do  the  children  rejoice, 
with  front  erect,  bold,  forceful.  Are  they  in  contempt?  Then 
do  the  children  cringe,  falter  and  fail. 

Time  wras,  when  ancestors’  manes  were  household  gods;  time 
was,  wrhen  citizens,  blameless,  devoted,  venerable,  invincible,  de- 
parted life  for  the  land  of  shades,  only  to  be  deified  — wTe  know 


206 


better  now,  do  we  not  ? But  in  the  grand  old  days,  the  heroes 
lived  evermore,  caring  for  the  commonwealth,  guiding  counsel, 
directing  war,  upbuilding  the  state;  as  demigods  adored,  with 
sacrificial  honors.  Insult  offered,  even  to  the  statue  of  the  hero, 
was  insult  inflicted  upon  the  state ; nay,  more — whoso  refused 
homage  was  the  enemy  of  the  state  and  of  his  people.  In  the 
Christian  ages,  the  church  has  ever  done  likewise  by  her  saints, 
revered,  even  when  unadored. 

Hero-worship!  is  it  commendable?  Ancestral  glory!  is  it 
nothing  worth?  Antiquity!  is  it  venerable?  Let  the  potent 
conservatism  of  “the  medical  profession”  answer.  Let  the  large 
and  respectable  clientele  of  that  old  guild,  reply ; that  army  of 
devotees  who  bend  the  ear  to  hear,  and  the  knee  in  devotion,  as 
medical  antiquity  is  exalted,  and  its  heroes  named ; justly  exalted 
— truly  named.  The  heroes  and  their  deeds — their  thoughts, 
their  words — these  are  indeed  immortal!  ’Twere  but  a bootless 
venture,  were  we,  their  legatees,  to  turn  the  ungrateful  back 
upon  those  mighty  dead. 

But  the  long,  long  past  stretches  forward  unto  this  day.  Ho- 
moeopathy writes  beneath  that  noble  galaxy,  the  name  of  a new 
constellation — a group  of  heroes  as  glorious  as  they;  few  in 
number,  but  of  imperishable  fame.  Antiquity  overtakes  us. 
Hahnemann,  Gram,  Jahr,  Boenninghausen,  Buchner,  Hausmann, 
Grauvogl,  Henderson,  Quin,  Jeanes,  Beebe,  Temple,  William- 
son, Dunham,  Gardiner,  Payne,  Hempel,  Hering;  these  have 
gone  over  to  the  reunion  of  the  great.  One  by  one  has  the  heroic 
Past  inscribed  them  upon  her  scroll.  We,  too,  are  acquiring  a 
history — short,  it  may  be,  in  time ; but  long,  in  all  that  makes 
time  venerable ; ages  old,  in  the  truth  spoken,  and  in  deeds  per- 
formed. 

Ye  homoeopaths,  behold  these,  your  heroes!  measure  the 
territory,  glory  in  the  fame  they  have  won  for  you ; emulate 
their  exalted  worth.  Mark  well,  too,  the  noble  souls  who  yet 
remain  with  us,  to  pile  still  loftier  mountains  of  grand  doing 
upon  the  heights  attained  by  them.  Behold  our  fast  rising 


207 


Olympus,  our  moving  Pelion,  our  trembling  Ossa,  upheavecl  by 
their  giant  shoulders,  and  say,  if  we  live  not  in  the  heroic  age 
ourselves — the  age  of  the  pioneers — the  age  of  laborious  sowing 
— the  age  of  iron,  of  the  power  of  LAW,  in  the  history  of  medi- 
cine, as  of  universal  progress ! Let  us  know  what  is  our  birth- 
right— recognize  the  heavenly  afflatus  inspiring  our  own  heroes 
— erect  our  own  Palladium — build  our  own  Pantheon — perceive 
the  vision  of  our  Olympian  court — cherish  worshipfully  our  own 
hastening  antiquity — and  condemn  the  threatened  oncoming  of 
an  untimely  age  of  brass ; of  an  early  and  slovenly  reaping ; of 
glib  and  lively  egotism,  and,  it  may  be,  of  reaction. 

What  care  we  for  that — or  for  them  ? That  is  the  mete-yard 
of  our  own  domain.  They  fought  and  labored  to  win  it ; their 
posterity  enter  in  and  possess  it.  Homely  and  trite  is  the  pro- 
verb— and  true  as  trite  “ ’Tis  but  an  unclean  bird  who  befouleth 
his  own  nest.”  He  is  but  an  unworthy  homoeopath  who  would 
asperse  his  own  professional  ancestry.  And  for  what?  To  con- 
ciliate the  medically  ungodly  ? To  win  opponents,  never  gener- 
ous, never  just?  (1  except  individuals).  Rather  let  us  learn 
their  politic  wisflom.  Fas  est  ab  hoste  doceri.  The  compulsion  of 
history  alone  can  win  them ; each  full-mailed  warrior,  like  the 
ancient  Spartan,  must  fix  the  boundary  of  his  estate,  only  with 
the  point  of  his  spear ! Each  man  must  be  a hero,  each  hero 
panoplied  in  the  armor  of  truth,  sent  down  from  heaven  at  the 
prayer  of  Samuel  Hahnemann ; claiming  the  whole  continent, 
moving  forward — forward — upward,  evermore ! 

Constantine  Hering  thus  fought  the  good  fight,  and  has  con- 
quered. The  hero  has  taken  his  Olympian*  seat.  The  glory  of 
the  ancients  is  his.  His  deeds  and  his  memory  remain  to  us. 
Thus  he  fought,  and  thus  he  won.  By  that  same  sign  may  all 
we  prevail ! 

And  as  we  look  backward  upon  the  more  than  half  a century 
of  his  struggle,  may  the  lesson  of  his  life  be  to  each  of  us,  at  once 
an  inspiration  and  a new  point  of  departure ; may  each  emulate 
the  courage,  the  patience,  the  industry,  the  truth,  the  faith,  of 


208 


those  grand  fifty  years  of  his  doctorate ; remembering  ever,  that 
for  us,  as  for  all,  the  path  of  true  honor  lies  oftenest  through 
valleys  of  obloquy,  to  hills  of  difficulty,  mountain-bigh ; our 
only  sustenance,  ofttimes,  the  soul-power  within ; ofttimes  un- 
resting, ofttimes  alone. 

“ The  heights  by  great  men  won,  and  kept, 

Were  not  attained  by  sudden  flight ; 

But  they,  while  their  companions  slept, 

Were  toiling  upward  in  the  night. 

We  have  not  wings,  we  cannot  soar, 

But  we  have  feet  to  scale  and  climb 

By  slow  degrees,  by  more  and  more, 

The  sunlit  summits  of  our  time.” 

The  life  of  our  departed  friend  was  the  realization  of  this  song 
of  our  national  poet ; for 

Thus  did  our  Hering  toil  and  climb  — 

Thus  proved  his  life-work  true,  sublime — 

Thus  wrought,  thus  fought,  thus  won  ; then  died, 

Nay,  lived  anew,  and  Death  defied. 

Sage  ! teacher ! hero  unexcelled  ! 

Thy  name  shall  be  in  homage  held — 

Thy  work  endure,  while  time  shall  be  ; 

Tliy  praise  befits  Eternity. 

Dr.  Martin  Desch^re,  of  New  York,  was  the  next 
speaker,  who  said; 

I,  too,  was  permitted  to  press  his  hand  once  in  my  life.  My 
longing  for  that  moment  to  come  was  more  than  compensated  by 
the  happy  hours  which  I spent  in  his  sacred  study.  Those  few 
hours  were  blessed.  They  truly  belong  to  the  happiest  ones  in 
my  life. 

Many  of  you  who  knew  Dr.  Hering  intimately  are  better  able 
to  speak  of  his  personal  traits  than  I am. 


209 


To  my  mind  the  object  of  this  memorial  meeting  should  be  the 
collection  of  those  thoughts  which  characterized  the  man  for 
whom  we  mourn  to-night.  For  within  us  he  planted  the  seed  of 
his  wisdom ; unto  us  he  left  the  great  work  of  his  life  as  a sacred 
inheritance — the  search  after  truth.  Therefore  we  can  honor 
him  no  more  than  by  following  his  footsteps,  by  marching  on- 
ward from  where  he  stopped,  by  fighting  with  his  weapons  for 
our  beloved  art.  And  here  we  must  ask  the  important  ques- 
tion : What  wTas  the  mission  of  Constantine  Hering  ? It  was  to 
make  Homoeopathy  universal ; to  proclaim  its  truth  to  all 
mankind ! 

The  history  of  his  life  tells  us  how  far  he  has  succeeded.  He 
has  spread  Homoeopathy  over  nearly  one-half  of  the  globe.  But 
is  Homoeopathy  universal?  It  is  not.  And  here  begins  the 
work  which  he  left  for  us  to  do,  which  we  must  do,  as  far  as 
our  power  permits,  with  all  energy  and  force,  just  as  he  did  him- 
self. This  is  the  inheritance  which  he  has  left  us  and  which  we 
must  hold  sacred. 

If  we  look  to-day  at  the  number  of  homoeopathic  physicians 
in  the  United  States,  with  its  flourishing  colleges,  its  numerous 
societies,  its  well-conducted  hospitals  and  dispensaries,  we  might 
be  inclined  to  think  that  nothing  remains  to  be  done,  that  all  is 
good  and  working  for  itself.  We  might  be  inclined  to  think 
that  Homoeopathy  is  really  becoming  universal. 

But  look  at  Europe.  Look  in  particular  to  Germany,  where 
stood  Hahnemann’s  cradle,  where  Homoeopathy  itself  was  born, 
where  Constantine  Hering  was  consecrated  to  the  cause. 

I hold  in  my  hand  a letter  addressed  to  Dr.  Hering  by  a man 
who,  from  pure  devotion  to  Homoeopathy,  begs  a few  articles, 
written  in  defense  of  Homoeopathy,  for  a German  periodical.  In 
this  letter  the  position  of  Homoeopathy  in  Germany  is  painted  in 
the  most  pitiful  colors,  and  Dr.  Hering  is  requested  to  write  a 
treatise  on  the  success  of  our  cause  in  America,  that  it  may  open 
the  eyes  of  the  public  across  the  Atlantic. 

The  one  who  wrote  the  letter  is  not  a physician.  He  is  a man 

14 


210 


who  has  witnessed  the  great  blessings  of  Homoeopathy  among 
his  friends,  and  who  cries  for  help  in  behalf  of  his  fellow-men 
throughout  his  country. 

The  letter  never  reached  him  to  whom  it  was  addressed.  It 
arrived  in  Philadelphia  a few  days  too  late  and  wTas  sent  to  me, 
with  the  request  that  I should  fulfil  the  demands  expressed  in  it, 
for  it  certainly  carries  a plea  of  great  significance. 

Just  at  the  moment  when  our  great  counsellor  parted  from  us, 
this  voice  calls  from  abroad  for  help — help  in  our  good  cause. 

Homoeopathy  is  not  yet  universal.  The  iron  chains  of  preju- 
dice, of  scientific  idolatry,  of  despotism,  hold  it  in  their  tight 
grip. 

From  this  country  of  freedom  alone,  liberty  must  come  to 
Homoeopathy  throughout  the  world.  In  the  name  of  Constan- 
tine Hering  let  me  beg  of  those  gentlemen  who  will  visit  the 
World’s  Convention,  to  be  held  abroad  next  summer,  to  remem- 
ber this  meeting,  to  keep  sacred  Hering’s  inheritance,  and  to 
fight  for  Homoeopathy  in  Europe. 

I trust  to  their  wise  counsel  that  by  some  means  they  may 
plant  a nucleus  containing  sufficient  life  from  which  to  develop 
a giant  in  aid  of  Homoeopathy  abroad.  The  World’s  Conven- 
tion here,  which  Dr.  Hering  instituted,  was  a great  step  toward 
the  universality  of  Homoeopathy.  And  in  working  thus  with 
the  true  spirit  of  progress  we  shall  honor  our  immortal  Hering. 

It  is  a sacred  debt  we  owe,  and  we  must  pay  it. 

Dr.  Constantine  Lippe,  of  New  York,  followed  with  the 
following  remarks: 

Allow  me  to  offer  my  tribute  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  my 
name-father.  As  an  individual  loss,  his  departure  leaves  a great 
void. 

It  was  my  custom  on  my  visits  to  Philadelphia,  to  call  upon 
our  friend  and  spend  some  very  profitable  hours  with  him.  His 
uncompromising  adherence  to  the  strict  principles  of  Homoeo- 


211 


pathy,  as  taught  by  Hahnemann,  helped  me  in  a great  measure 
to  be  more  certain  that  these  principles  were  true,  for  in  his  long 
and  successful  practice  he,  by  adhering  to  those  principles,  could 
and  did  cure  cases  of  disease,  entirely  unmanageable  by  any 
other  course  of  treatment. 

Dr.  Hering  was  one  of  the  best  friends  I ever  had,  genial,  cor- 
dial ; and  never  was  a visit  paid  him  by  me  but  he  was  ready  and 
willing  to  share  his  great  knowledge  on  any  subject  inquired 
upon.  He  took  great  pleasure  in  imparting  his  information, 
gained  by  his  close  studies  and  long  experience.  But  he  com- 
pleted. his  life,  full,  long,  and  useful,  and  dropped  to  sleep  to 
wake  without  the  worn-out  frame  which  had  become  enfeebled. 

“ That  bodies  should  be  lent  to  us  while  they  can  afford  us 
pleasure,  assist  us  in  acquiring  knowledge,  or  in  doing  good  to 
our  fellow-beings,  is  a kind  and  benevolent  act  of  God.  When 
they  become  unfit  for  their  purposes,  and  afford  us  pain  instead 
of  pleasure,  instead  of  an  aid  becoming  an  incumbrance,  and 
answer  none  of  the  intentions  for  which  they  were  given,  it  is 
equally  kind  and  benevolent  that  a way  is  provided  by  which  we 
may  get  rid  of  them.  This  way  is  death.”  So  wrote  Benjamin 
Franklin  in  1756. 

Our  friend  has  departed  from  the  earth  sphere,  but  his  memory 
will  be  held  in  dear  remembrance. 

Dr.  Charles  B.  Gilbert,  of  Washington,  D.  C.,  expressed 
himself  in  this  wise : 

Having  been  a member  of  Dr.  Hering’s  household  for  some 
months,  and  having  had  some  opportunities  for  observing  the  inner 
life  of  that  great  and  good  man,  there  is  one  quality  to  which  I 
wish  to  refer.  As  I was  hurrying  across  the  country  from  the 
West  to  attend  the  funeral,  to  relieve  somewhat  the  sadness  of 
my  thoughts,  I took  up  a little  book  that  had  been  put  into  my 
hand  by  a friend  just  before  I started ; it  was  the  little  story  by 
Edward  Everett  Hale,  of  the  “ Poor  Men  of  Lyons  ” — as  they 


212 


were  called — how  they  had  given  up  wealth  and  position  to 
spread  the  gospel ; their  appeal  to  each  other  was — “ For  the 
love  of  Christ  ” and  the  answer  was — “ In  his  name.”  “ Verily,” 
I said,  Doctor  Hering  was  a “ Poor  Man  of  Lyons,”  indeed,  and 
a prophet  among  them. 

On  the  day  of  the  funeral,  as  I stood  by  the  door  receiving  the 
hundreds  who  came  to  view  the  face  of  their  benefactor,  and  saw 
among  them  scores  who  could,  in  their  poverty,  only  have  called 
on  him  “For  the  love  of  Christ,”  I could  not  help  thinking — 
these  are  the  “ Poor  Men  of  Lyons ;”  the  tears  that  rolled  down 
their  cheeks  told  louder  than  words  that  the  answer  to  their  ap- 
peal had  been — “ In  his  name.” 

I cannot  find  words  to  express  my  individual  sorrow  and  in- 
debtedness to  him  on  whose  monument  no  fitter  motto  could  be 
engraved  than  this — “ He  loved  his  neighbor  as  himself.” 

On  behalf  of  Dr.  C.  W.  Boyce,  of  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  the 
secretary  presented  the  following  reminiscences  of  Dr. 
Hering,  prepared  and  read  before  the  Central  New  York 
Homoeopathic  Medical  Society,  October  17th,  1880,  by 
Dr.  Boyce,  who  desired  the  contribution  to  be  made  a 
part  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Philadelphia  Memorial 
Meeting : 

We  speak  to-day  in  memory  of  the  late  Dr.  Constantine  Hering, 
of,  I cannot  say  Philadelphia,  because  he  belonged  to  the  world. 
You  have  selected  me  to  say  something  in  regard  to  him,  not  be- 
cause I am  more  competent  to  do  it  than  the  rest  of  you,  but  from 
the  accident  that  I had  been'  thrown  more  into  his  society.  In 
order  to  explain  how  my  acquaintance  with  him  began,  and  why 
ft  continued,  I must  commence  several  years  before  I first  saw 
him. 

The  name  of  Dr.  Hering  is  so  closely  associated  with  Lachesis, 
in  my  mind,  that  when  one  is  mentioned  the  other  is  almost  sure 


213 


to  come  up  with  it,  and  to  a great  extent,  with  me,  Homoeopathy 
depends  upon  Lachesis  for  its  glory.  It  was  by  Homoeopathy 
that  I became  acquainted  with  Lachesis,  and  it  was  by  Lachesis 
that  I came  to  know  Dr.  Hering.  In  1846  I first  became  practi- 
cally acquainted  with  Homoeopathy,  and  began  to  practice  it  in 
preference  to  the  ordinary  method.  It  was  not  until  several 
years  after  that,  that  the  wonderful  healing  powers  of  Homoe- 
opathy were  fully  revealed  to  me.  I had  a case  of  typhoid  fever 
which  had  continued  for  twenty-one  days  unchecked.  At  this 
time  there  seemed  no  chance  for  the  patient  to  recover.  Hope 
had  been  abandoned,  when,  during  the  night  following  the  twenty- 
first  day,  Lachesis  was  given  every  two  hours.  Next  morning 
there  was  a complete  change.  The  tongue  was  moist  and  the 
delirium  was  greatly  lessened.  From  this  time  on  convalescence 
commenced  and  progressed  until  health  was  restored.  This  case 
was  never  forgotten,  but  in  my  daily  rounds  it  was  a long  time 
before  I saw  another  such  result.  It  came,  however,  in  a case 
of  gangrene.  A woman  discovered  a small  black  spot  on  the 
calf  of  her  leg,  which  gave  her  a great  deal  of  uneasiness,  and  it 
rapidly  increased  in  size.  When  I saw  it  she  was  in  bed,  and 
the  spot  measured  three  inches  in  diameter.  It  was  rapidly  in- 
creasing, in  size,  and  she  grew  sicker  and  sicker.  Lachesis  was 
given,  and  in  a few  hours  the  progress  of  the  disease  was  checked. 
In  a few  days  the  entire  piece  of  flesh  which  was  affected  fell  out, 
leaving  a hole  reaching  to  the  sheath  of  the  muscles.  This  healed 
kindly  in  a very  short  time.  These  cases  were  treasured  up  in 
memory.  Soon  after  this,  a case  of  aneurism  of  the  aorta,  where 
the  patient  was  obliged  to  sit  by  the  open  window  day  and 
night,  in  order  to  get  all  the  fresh  air  she  could,  was  wonderfully 
relieved  by  Lachesis. 

Again  followed  a time  of  professional  drudgery  without  strik- 
ing results,  when  I was  startled.  A woman  who  was  nursing  a 
child  was  aroused  at  midnight  by  the  cry  of  fire.  She  had  only 
time  to  grasp  her  child  and  rush  out  of  the  house  in  her  night 
dress.  It  was  winter  time,  and  she  went  into  snow  up  to  her 


214 


knees.  She  stood  about  in  this  undress  until  the  house  was  con- 
sumed before  seeking  shelter.  The  result  was  that  she  did  not 
get  out  of  bed  until  the  next  summer,  and  then  only  by  the  help 
of  Lachesis,  which  in  nine  days  not  only  took  her  out  of  bed,  but 
set  her  doing  her  housework. 

Now  to  me,  Homoeopathy  was  fast  coming  to  mean  Lachesis, 
but  I was  soon  to  be  aroused  from  any  security  I felt  in  the  prac- 
tice of  even  Homoeopathy.  A great  grief  came  upon  me.  My 
only  son  sickened  and  died  in  a few  days.  During  his  sickness  I 
could  not  see  that  anything  given  medicinally  produced  any 
effect.  The  disease  went  on  unchecked  until  he  died.  On  the 
day  of  the  funeral  the  twin  sister  was  taken  sick  with  the  same 
disease,  and  only  after  a severe  struggle  was  saved.  Disheart- 
ened I asked  whether  there  was  any  remedial  virtue  in  medicine  ? 
My  cases  treated  by  Lachesis  answered  this  question.  Then  came 
another  question:  has  my  practice  of  medicine  been  a success? 
On  comparing  results  with  other  physicians  whose  death-roll  I 
knew,  I found  that  my  success  or  failure,  whichever  it  might  be 
called,  was,  perhaps,  a fair  average.  But  this  did  not  satisfy  me ; 
I asked  myself  another  question.  If  I could  occasionally  get  such 
results  as  I did  from  Lachesis,  why  could  I not  get  them  from 
other  remedies  ? where  should  I seek  for  the  answer  ? I had  been 
for  several  years  practicing  Homoeopathy,  and  preferred  it  to 
Allopathy,  from  which  I had  turned.  During  these  years  of  prac- 
ticing medicine  I had  not  seen  in  either  practice  any  such  results 
as  came  from  the  administration  of  Lachesis.  Two  steps  had 
been  taken ; I had  found  Homoeopathy ; I had  found  Lachesis ; 
I knew  or  believed  that  Dr.  Hering  was  the  one  who  introduced 
this  remedy  into  use.  The  next  and  third  step  in  progress  was 
to  seek  Dr.  Hering.  I wrote  to  Dr.  Hering,  asking  him  whether 
I could  call  upon  him  and  hope  to  find  him  unoccupied  long 
enough  for  me  to  get  some  information  which  would  help  me  in 
the  practice  of  Homoeopathy?  I was  impressed  with  the  idea 
that  by  seeing  and  talking  with  Dr.  Hering  I should  be  able  to 
go  on  and  aoquire  what  I wanted.  I did  not  wait  for  an  answer 


215 


to  my  letter,  but  went  at  once  to  Philadelphia  and  called  at  his 
house  on  the  same  evening  of  my  arrival.  I found  him  entertain- 
ing a large  number  of  physicians  in  his  garden,  which  for  the 
occasion  was  lighted  by  tapers  in  the  trees.  The  garden  was  full 
of  little  tables,  which  held  refreshments,  and  which  were  served 
after  the  German  style.  On  announcing  myself  at  the  door  as  a 
physician,  I was  ushered  into  the  garden,  along  with  the  rest. 
After  being  there  a short  time  I learned  which  Dr.  Hering  was.  I 
saw  a large  man  with  long  grey  hair  which  fell  down  upon  his 
shoulders,  and  with  a beard,  likewise  grey,  which  reached  to  his 
breast.  As  I watched  him,  first  talking  to  one  and  then  to  an- 
other, I almost  wondered  why  I had  ventured  there.  He  was 
always  the  centre  of  a group  of  interested  doctors.  Presently  he 
turned  to  one  of  the  tables,  which  fortunately  was  near  where  I 
stood,  and  took  some  bread  and  cheese.  Now  was  my  opportu- 
nity ; I stepped  before  him  and  announced  my  name.  I won- 
dered how  I should  be  received.  All  at  once  he  laid  down  his 
bread  and  cheese  and  taking  both  my  hands  he  said ; “ O,  Dr. 
Boyce,  I am  glad  to  see  you,”  and  calling  his  daughter,  cried, 
“ Here,  Odelia,  is  Dr.  Boyce ; keep  him  until  all  these  go  away ; 
I want  to  talk  with  him.”  Odelia  fulfilled  her  father’s  desire,  and 
gave  me  my  first  introduction  to  limburger  cheese.  I have  always 
thought  that  she  and  Mrs.  Conrad  Wesselhoeft,  who  was  her  com- 
panion for  that  evening,  must  have  enjoyed  the  scene  when  I 
first  essayed  the  eating  of  some  of  this  cheese.  It  was  made  up 
into  the  most  inviting  little  balls,  ornamented  with  greens.  Dr. 
Hering  again  took  up  his  bread  and  cheese  and  began  to  eat,  and 
following  his  example  I took  one  of  these  beautiful  little  balls 
and  a piece  of  bread.  The  balls  looked  so  nice  and  withal  so 
small,  that  I put  the  whole  of  one  into  my  mouth  and  began  to 
chew.  Imagine  me  standing  before  Dr.  Hering  with  this  in  my 
mouth,  trying  to  hold  it  and  at  the  same  time  wishing  to  keep 
him  from  turning  to  some  one  else,  and  you  can  have  some  faint 
idea  of  my  first  experience  with  limburger  cheese.  I was  finally 
obliged  to  turn  away  from  him  behind  the  neighboring  bushes 


216 


and  spit  it  out.  On  turning  back  again  I caught  a glimpse  of 
two  pairs  of  eyes  set  in  countenances  convulsed  with  laughter. 
This  was  my  first  introduction  to  Dr.  Hering  and  limburger 
cheese.  I was  with  him  until  late  in  the  night  and  nearly  all 
the  next  day,  and  the  next,  and  so  on  until  I was  ashamed  to 
take  up  any  more  of  his  time,  and  excused  myself  on  the  plea 
that  I must  go  home.  In  about  one  month  another  great  calam- 
ity seemed  impending.  My  eldest  daughter  was  taken  with  diph- 
theria. It  went  on  to  the  croupy  stage.  This  was  when  I had 
never  seen  a case  recover  in  which  the  larynx  had  become  in- 
vaded. The  disease  first  showed  itself  on  November  1.  You  all 
know  how  the  disease  progresses,  and  how  anxious  we  all  are 
when  we  have  such  cases  to  treat.  This  case  progressed  until 
the  eleventh  day,  slowly  but  surely  getting  worse,  w7hen  I wrote 
to  Dr.  Hering,  giving  minutely  the  symptoms  and  condition, 
saying  that  on  the  thirteenth  day,  when  I knew  he  would  have 
my  letter,  I would  telegraph  him  how  the  case  was,  if  alive. 
This  I did,  and  soon  had  the  reply,  “ give  Lachesis.”  The  case 
began  to  mend  from  this  time,  and  finally  recovered  entirely. 

In  December,  1863,  another  claim  came  to  me  in  my  imme- 
diate family.  To  give  a correct  account  of  this  case  I must  copy 
it  as  reported  at  the  time : “ A child  of  twenty-one  months,  with 

light  hair,  blue  eyes  and  light  complexion,  took  cold  on  Christmas 
day.  During  the  night  of  the  26th  there  was  fever  and  rapid 
respiration.  At  11  a.m.  December  the  27th,  the  child  had  a 
spasm  lasting  fifteen  minutes.  From  this  time  until  January 
8th  there  was  continued  fever,  greatly  increased  at  night,  with  a 
pulse  of  150.  The  respirations  were  70  per  minute  on  actual  count, 
and  at  no  time  were  they  less.  Generally  there  was  a red  spot 
on  one  cheek,  which  frequently  changed  sides.  When  one  cheek 
was  red  the  other  was  generally  pale.  All  this  time  the  left 
lung  was  impervious  to  air.  Auscultation  revealed  slight  bron- 
chial respiration  but  no  vesicular  murmur.  The  right  lung  was 
not  implicated ; there  was  constant  cough,  yet  much  increased  at 
night.  The  case  had  gradually  but  surely  got  worse,  until  the 


217 


8th  of  January,  when  the  right  lung  began  to  be  affected.  This 
day  the  child  became  uneasy  and  restless,  throwing,  itself  in  all 
directions  and  into  all  positions  in  its  efforts  to  get  breath.  The 
face  grew  dark;  there  was  constant  spasmodic  cough  with  la- 
bored breathing;  the  little  thing  in  its  agony  striking  its  mother 
for  controlling  it  at  all.  When  it  fell  asleep  for  a few  seconds  the 
throat  became  so  dry  that  a condition  resembling  croup  came  on, 
and  all  the  sufferings  were  increased.  This  fearful  condition  was 
rapidly  hurrying  the  little  sufferer  to  its  grave.  All  the  promi- 
nent remedies  for  the  condition  had  been  given,  including  Lach- 
esis  200th,  with  no  result.  At  this  juncture  Lachesis  12th  (three 
pellets)  was  given  dry  on  the  tongue ; immediately  (the  pellets 
had  not  entirely  dissolved  on  the  tongue)  the  cough  stopped  and 
the  breathing  was  relieved  for  four  hours.  At  the  end  of  this 
time  the  cough  gradually  returned  with  all  the  sufferings  (in  a 
diminished  degree)  when  another  dose  of  Lachesis  12th  produced 
the  same  decided  relief,  which  lasted  sixteen  hours.  Four  doses 
in  twelve  hours  so  changed  the  condition  that  the  child  slept 
nearly  all  night,  and  the  air  again  passed  freely  to  all  parts  of 
the  before  obstructed  lung.” 

During  the  autumn  of  1863,  and  up  to  January,  1864,  there 
seemed  to  have  been  some  severe  sickness  nearly  all  the  time  in 
my  own  family,  and  twice  during  that  time  had  Lachesis  helped 
me  out.  In  the  summer  of  1864  I again  visited  Dr.  Hering.  I 
was  received  with  the  same  cordiality,  and  made  at  home  at  his 
house.  At  this  time  the  old  faculty  of  the  Homoeopathic  Medical 
College  of  Pennsylvania,  had  become  tired  of  bearing  the  burden 
imposed  upon  it.  The  trustees  of  the  college  offered  this  charge 
to  Dr.  Hering,  or  at  least  so  that  Dr.  Hering  associated  with  his 
friends,  might  have  control  and  direction  of  it.  They  accepted  the 
offer,  and  associated  themselves  together  and  formed  a new  fac- 
ulty, which  gave  its  first  course  of  lectures  during  the  winter  of 
1864-65.  Drs.  Hering,  Lippe,  Guernsey  and  Raue  were  profes- 
sors in  the  college,  and  Dr.  Hering  invited  me  to  attend  the 
course  of  lectures  given  that  winter.  This  I accepted.  When  in 


218 


October  I presented  myself  at  bis  door,  ready  to  follow  his  instruc- 
tions, he  said  to  me,  “Now,  here  you  are  at  home  ; come  every 
day  at  three  o’clock  in  the  afternoon  and  take  coffee  with  me. 
At  this  hour  I have  my  noonday  rest  and  I allow  no  one  to  disturb 
me.”  Every  day  at  three  o’clock  found  me  at  his  house  where  I 
spent  this  hour  with  him.  All  this  time  he  did  the  talking,  and 
spoke  of  Homoeopathy,  and  almost  everything  else.  It  finally 
came  about  that  every  evening  found  me  at  Dr.  Hering’s  house, 
where  I always  met  some  one  or  more  of  the  above-named  pro- 
fessors, and  often  all  of  them.  There  I spent  the  winter,  virtually 
in  association  with  Drs.  Hering,  Lippe,  Raue,  and  Guernsey. 
These  four  were  like  school-boys  learning  their  lessons.  Every 
night  they  met  at  Dr.  Hering’s  house  and  related  the  experiences 
of  the  day,  and  when  any  new  result  was  reached  they  all  noted 
it,  and  Dr.  Hering  recorded  it  in  his  manuscripts. 

A close  friendship  with  these  men  was  begun  in  consequence 
of  the  publication  in  May  and  June  in  the  America/i  Homoeopathic 
Review,  a periodical  which  all  these  w'ere  interested  in  maintain- 
ing, of  a minute  account  of  all  the  results  I had  obtained  by  the 
administration  of  Lachesis  as  a curative  agent,  up  to  this  time. 
Those  of  you  who  remember  the  controversy  which  wTas  at  that 
time  going  on  as  to  whether  there  was  any  remedial  virtue  in 
Lachesis,  can  appreciate  the  pleasure  with  which  this  publica- 
tion was  received  by  these  men,  all  of  whom  were  positive,  both 
from  having  helped  prove  it  and  from  using  it  in  practice,  that 
it  was  a great  curative  agent.  Hempel  had  fulminated  his  ana- 
themas against  it,  declaring  it  inert.  Others  had  condemned  it 
in  every  respect.  This  report  detailed  cases  in  actual  experience, 
where  such  wonderful  results  were  obtained  that  no  one  could 
make  any  answer  to  them  except  he  said,  “ I don’t  believe  him.” 
I stood  ready  to  prove  every  case  and  bring  the  witnesses,  before 
any  court,  and  take  their  sworn  statements  to  the  truth  of  what 
I had  written.  Dr.  Hering  felt  and  always  said  that  this  was  the 
turning  point  with  Lachesis,  and  at  once  called  me  the  man  who 
saved  it.  Often,  as  I came  into  his  house,  he  would  cry  out, 


219 


“ Here  comes  the  man  who  saved  Lachesis.”  He  loved  to  tell 
me  about  the  capture  of  the  snake,  and  how  he  took  the  poison 
and  how  he  had  proved  it.  We  were  to  go  to  the  Academy  of 
Natural  Sciences  together  and  see  the  original  snake. 

What  great  results  often  follow  small  affairs.  In  this  case 
the  publication  of  what  seemed  to  me  only  an  ordinary  report 
of  cases  cured,  was  followed  by  the  life-long  friendship  and  even 
gratitude  of  one  of  the  greatest  benefactors  of  the  human  race, 
for  so  I consider  the  discoverer  of  a remedy  which  will  produce 
such  wonderful  curative  results  as  Lachesis  does. 

During  this  winter  which  I spent  in  Philadelphia,  and  so  much 
of  the  time  at  his  house,  just  at  Christmas,  I received  a message 
from  home  that  Mrs.  Boyce  was  severely  sick,  and  that  I must 
go  home  at  once.  On  my  arrival  I found  a case  of  typhoid-pneu- 
monia of  a serious  nature.  After  studying  the  case  carefully  I 
gave  Phosphorus,  but  feeling  anxious  I telegraphed  to  Dr.  Her- 
ing  the  condition,  and  again  received  help  from  him.  He  was 
ever  ready  to  do  anything  in  his  power  for  any  one  who  suffered. 
In  about  ten  days  I was  able  to  return  and  finish  the  winter. 

Another  circumstance  shows  the  constancy  of  Dr.  Hering’s 
friendship.  Sometime  before  the  commencement  of  the  college 
I wished  to  go  home,  but  this  Dr.  Hering  did  not  want.  He  said, 
“ You  have  been  here  so  far,  now  stay  to  the  commencement.”  On 
commencement  day  Dr.  Hering  invited  me  to  accompany  the 
faculty  and  sit  on  the  platform.  When  the  ceremony  of  conferr- 
ing the  degree  of  the  college  was  concluded  by  the  president,  and 
each  recipient  of  a diploma  had  been  given  a bouquet  of  flowers, 
I noticed  that  Mrs.  Hering  had  another  bouquet  and  wondered 
why  it  had  not  been  given  to  some  one.  I also  noticed  that  the 
dean  of  the  faculty  had  another  sheep-skin,  but  had  no  idea  that 
this  had  any  significance  for  me.  But  soon  the  dean  stepped  out 
upon  the  platform  and  began  to  speak.  I heard  my  name  called, 
and  in  the  confusion  which  followed,  I managed  to  stand  up  and 
hear  whatever  of  his  speech  I could.  The  purport  of  it  was  that 
the  faculty  of  the  Homoeopathic  Medical  College  of  Pennsylvania 


220 


had  unanimously  voted  me  the  special  degree  of  the  college,  and 
that  the  association  with  me  through  the  winter  had  been  such  as 
to  give  them  great  pleasure  at  this  time  in  conferring  the  degree 
upon  me.  Then  Mrs.  Hering  gave  me  the  bouquet  which  J had 
noticed  in  her  hand,  and  then  came  the  congratulations  of  the 
different  members  of  the  faculty,  and  then  I was  glad  to  get  out 
of  the  Hall. 

Altogether  this  was  the  happiest  and  most  instructive  winter 
I ever  passed.  So  many  memories  cluster  about  these  men  and 
those  whom  I met  at  Dr.  Hering’s,  that  I must  stop  and  think  of 
them.  There  was  our  noble  Dunham,  our  Damascene  P.  P. 
Wells,  our  loving  Jeanes,  our  lion-hearted  Lippe,  our  beloved 
Raue,  and  our  accurate  Guernsey.  Drs.  Dunham,  Gardner, 
Jeanes,  and  now  Father  Hering  are  gone.  Those  who  are  left  of 
the  old  guard  are  well  worthy  of  our  love  and  respect,  and  as  we 
drop  a tear  upon  the  graves  of  those  who  are  gone,  let  us  not  fail 
to  cherish  a warm  love  for  those  who  are  left  to  bear  aloft  the 
standard  of  pure  Homoeopathy.  Many  times  since  1865  I have 
visited  Dr.  Hering,  and  was  always  received  with  the  same  warm- 
hearted welcome.  These  interviews  were  always  full  of  instruc- 
tion and  friendship.  I wish  I could  describe  the  many  remin- 
iscences I retain  of  him  as  I remember  them,  but  this  I cannot 
do.  I can  only  do  the  best  I can,  and  with  your  patience  and 
indulgence  I will  give  you  a few  of  the  incidents  which  occurred 
during  these  visits  subsequent  to  1865. 

For  several  years  after  1865  every  summer  I visited  Dr. 
Hering,  and  was  always  as  warmly  welcomed  as  before.  In  his 
home,  (a  dou,ble  house,  Nos.  112  and  114  North  Twelfth  St.)  on 
the  first  floor,  beside  the  kitchen  and  the  laundry,  were  four  rooms. 
The  two  front  rooms  were  his  reception  rooms.  The  north  room 
was  the  ladies  room  and  the  south  his  ordinary  business  room. 
This  last  was  merely  evenly  divided  across  from  between  the  two 
windows  by  a couple  of  desks,  behind  one  of  which  he  stood  with 
pen  in  hand  ready  to  note  down  the  symptoms  or  to  look  up  the 
remedy,  the  other  desk  was  for  his  secretary.  Many  a time  I 


221 


have  seen  the  space  in  front  of  these  desks  full  of  patients  and 
then  even  extending  out  into  the  hall,  and,  in  fact,  all  over  the 
lower  part  of  the  house.  Then  behind  his  desk  he  stood  passing 
upon  one  and  then  another  until  all  were  served,  then  he  would 
go  out  and  see  patients  until  all  these  were  seen.  The  other  two 
rooms  on  the  first  floor  were  respectively  a dining  room  and  his 
reception  room  for  visitors.  This  room  was  about  20x30  feet ; 
on  two  sides  were  shelves  full  of  books ; on  the  west  end  were 
windows ; at  the  east  end  were  folding  doors  separating  it  from 
the  ladies’  reception  room.  Over  these  doors  was  a portrait  of 
the  original  serpent  from  which  was  taken  the  Lachesis.  As  I 
remember  it,  half  erect,  with  its  body  coiled  and  mouth  open,  it 
seemed  a formidable  reptile.  I have  often  wished  that  I had  a 
photograph  of  it.  In  my  office  is  a representation  of  the  South 
American  lance-headed  viper  which  a water-color  artist  made 
for  me  from  the  description  in  Jahr’s  “ Pharmacopoeia,”  but  it 
does  not  resemble  this  portrait  which  Dr.  Hering  had  painted. 
People  often  come  into  my  office  and,  after  looking  at  my  picture 
with  a shudder,  say:  “How  can  you  bear  to  have  that  ugly  thing 
here?”  Ah ! that,  to  them  ugly  thing  is  to  me  a thing  of  beauty. 
I never  tire  of  looking  at  it.  As  I look  at  it  I seem  to  see  one 
of  my  children,  if  not  two,  who  were  saved  by  Lachesis,  and  as  I 
continue  to  look  I see  here  one  and  there  one  who  only  for  this 
serpent  would  have  passed  over  to  the  majority.  I went  there 
almost  daily,  and  rejoice  that  Dr.  Hering  lived  to  introduce  this 
remedy  into  practice.  Once  when  I visited  him  there  was  a 
stranger  who  answered  the  bell  when  I called  and  who  ushered 
me  into  his  reception  room.  There  were  several  patients  there 
when  I entered.  He  took  no  notice  of  me  whatever,  but  went  on 
with  his  examinations  and  prescriptions  until  he  got  through. 
During  all  this  time  I sat  there  watching  him,  but  he  did  not 
show  that  he  had  ever  known  me.  But  when  the  last  patient 
passed  out  and  my  turn  came,  he  said,  “ come  in  our  room,  I can’t 
see  you  here.”  He  wanted  to  hear  something  about  Lachesis. 
During  the  time  I sat  in  his  reception  room  he  would  not  allow 


222 


himself  to  be  diverted  from  his  purpose,  even  so  far  as  to  recog- 
nize me,  but  kept  steadily  on  until  he  had  made  his  prescription 
for  the  last  one,  when  he  immediately  dismissed  all  from  his  mind, 
and  gave  himself  up  to  friendship.  I really  thought  he  had  for- 
gotten me  and  said  so.  “ No,”  he  said,  “ I never  let  one  thing 
interfere  with  another.”  At  one  time  when  I had  called  early  in 
the  morning  I found  him  in  his  room  where  the  manuscripts  are 
kept.  This  room  is  on  the  second  floor  over  his  business  room. 
It  was  here  that  he  shut  himself  up  and  generally  admitted  no 
visitors.  This  room  was  full  of  books  and  articles  which  he 
wished  for  his  own  private  study.  At  one  end  was  an  iron  safe 
for  special  manuscripts,  and  this  was  full.  Dr.  Dunham  was  a 
prized  friend  and  a frequent  visitor  in  this  room.  He  once  said 
that  his  highest  ambition  would  be  gratified  if  he  could  but  edit 
Dr.  Hering’s  manuscripts.  I am  not  sure  whether  I heard  Dr. 
Dunham  say  this,  but,  if  not,  it  came  direct  from  him  to  me 
through  his  next  friend,  Dr.  H.  M.  Smith.  It  was  in  this  room 
where  Dr.  Hering  went  in  the  morning  to  write  and  study.  As 
soon  as  he  waked  he  would  hurry  on  his  pantaloons,  and  maybe 
a vest  or  not,  just  as  he  happened  to  be  in  a hurry  or  not,  and 
here  he  would  sit  until  Mrs.  Hering  came  in  to  advise  him  to 
get  ready  to  see  his  patients.  He  never  seemed  to  know  when 
it  was  time  to  get  ready  for  the  day’s  business.  On  this  par- 
ticular morning  when  I was  in  this  room  Mrs.  Hering  came 
with  a bowl  of  water  and  some  towels  for  his  toilet.  When  he 
came  to  change  his  night-dress  for  his  day-shirt  I thought  it 
time  for  me  to  retire,  and  was  about  to  pass  out  of  the  room. 
“ O don’t  go,”  he  said,  “I  am  not  a woman.”  I remained  until 
his  toilet  was  completed  and  then  we  went  down  to  his  business 
office.  He  had  an  apparatus  with  which  he  could  prepare  coffee 
in  this  room  and  sometimes  did  so.  I have  supposed  that  he 
often  did  this,  but  do  not  know.  His  mind  was  constantly  occu- 
pied, and  he  was  either  talking,  writing  or  listening.  He  was  a 
good  listener  if  one  had  anything  to  say  of  any  value.  I well 
remember  the  first  time  I saw  him  to  have  any  conversation  with 


223 


him.  I happened  to  speak  of  an  effect  produced  by  Euphrasia 
on  the  nasal  mucous  membrane  and  some  use  of  this  remedy  in 
measles.  At  once  out  came  his  pencil  and  paper  and  down  it 
wTent,  subsequently  to  appear  in  his  portfolios,  if  finally  approved. 
He  always  carried  with  him  tablets  of  paper,  about  three  by 
four  inches  in  size,  on  which  he  wrote  all  he  observed  or  heard. 
On  these  tablets  he  also  noted  his  cases.  I don’t  think  I ever 
saw  him  when  he  felt  too  weary  to  tell  something  which  would 
help  others  in  Homoeopathy.  I don’t  remember  that  he  was  ever 
the  first  to  say  good-night. 

The  great  desire  of  his  heart,  through  all  the  time  I knew  him, 
wTas  to  publish  a complete  Materia  Medica.  During  the  winter 
I spent  wTith  him  he  tried  to  consummate  this  wish  and  issued  a 
prospectus  for  publishing  the  work,  both  in  German  and  English, 
in  the  same  book.  He  offered  it  at  the  exact  cost  of  printing  and 
paper  for  five  thousand  copies.  Some  money  was  raised  for 
this  purpose,  how  much  I do  not  know  Although  this  project 
fell  to  the  ground,  I know  that  he  was  happy  in  making  the  effort. 
Those  who  sent  the  first  instalment  of  five  dollars  had  their 
choice  either  to  take  the  money  back  or  a copy  of  Gross’  Com- 
parative Materia  Medica,  a work  which  he  translated ; I presume 
they  all  took  the  book.  Later  he  made  another  attempt  to  get 
out  his  Materia  Medica,  in  a periodical,  and  through  this  he 
issued  several  pathogeneses  in  the  Am.  Journal  of  Horn.  Materia 
Medica.  This  came  to  an  end  all  too  soon.  At  last  the  desire 
of  his  heart  was  about  to  be  gratified,  and  his  “ Guiding  Symp- 
toms ” began  to  make  its  appearance  under  such  auspices  that  a 
certainty  had  been  reached.  And  now,  instead  of  the  enterprise 
falling  through  and  thus  disappointing  him,  he  passed  away. 
Like  Moses  on  the  mount  viewing  the  promised  land  which  he 
was  not  to  enter,  Dr.  Hering  at  last  had  a view  of  the  consum- 
mation of  that  which  he  had  been  looking  for  for  so  many  years. 
This  work  is  in  loving  hands,  and  it  will  be  completed,  I hope, 
before  long.  His  expression  to  me  about  this  work  was  full  of 
enthusiasm,  and  was,  “when  this  comes  out  what  a grand 


224 


thing  it  will  be.  Nothing  which  has  ever  been  published  can 
compare  with  it.”  What  a life  his  was ! A life  of  desire  to 
benefit  others.  Laboring  on  even  up  to  the  last  hour  of  his 
life.  If  I were  to  be  asked  what  was  the  chief  trait  in  his 
character,  I should  say  that  it  was  a desire  to  aid  his  fellows,  and 
with  this  a perfect  confidence  in  those  whom  he  trusted.  It  will 
seem  presumptuous  in  me  to  attempt  to  give  an  estimate  of  how 
much  Dr.  Hering  knew,  since  this  will  be  told  so  much  better 
than  I can  do  it  by  his  many  associates.  I only  knew  that  there 
seemed  to  be  no  subject  which  he  did  not  appear  to  understand, 
and  frequently  when  with  him  he  would  start  out  to  talk  upon 
his  favorite  theme,  Homoeopathy,  and  from  this  he  would  pass  to 
some  other — perhaps  music — where  he  seemed  equally  at  home. 
Once,  I met  at  his  home  a celebrated  opera  bass  singer,  Carl 
Formes,  I think,  and  as  I listened  to  their  conversation  I could 
see  that  Dr.  Hering  was  as  conversant  with  operas  and  opera 
music  as  was  this  professional  singer.  I well  remember  this 
meeting,  for  I was  surprised  to  hear  Dr.  Hering  talk  and  to  hear 
Carl  Formes  listen  to  him.  Afterwards,  when  I was  listening  to 
the  singing,  in  opera,  of  this  artist,  I found  myself  wondering 
whether  Dr.  Hering  might  not  have  been  a success  as  an  opera 
singer  if  his  pathway  had  led  him  to  it.  That  same  evening 
when  we  were  alone  together,  he  gave  me,  as  I now  see  it,  about 
all  the  information  I possess  in  regard  to  opera.  He  knew 
the  history  of  all  the  artists  who  were  successes  in  their  line. 
At  times  he  would  talk  of  the  future  life  and  what  he  ex- 
pected in  it.  It  was,  to  him,  only  a step  in  progress.  We  are 
to  take  up  our  life  and  go  on  in  the  future  just  where  we  lay  it 
down  here.  Our  pursuits  are  to  be  the  same,  only  the  incum- 
brances will  be  removed.  I don’t  think  I ever  heard  him  hesitate 
in  this  regard.  He  seemed  to  have  reflected  upon  this  subject, 
and  to  have  settled  it  in  his  mind  just  as  definitely  as  he  had 
any  other  subject  which  he  undertook  to  study  out.  He  believed 
that  we  carry  with  us  our  preferences  and  our  distastes,  and  that 
we  will  exercise  them  there  as  here.  I have  no  doubt  he  ex- 


225 


peeled  to  gather  his  students  about  him  and  to  go  on  increasing 
in  knowledge  forever. 

In  1876,  at  the  time  of  the  World’s  Convention,  there  was  a 
large  number  of  physicians  present  from  all  the  States  and  from 
abroad.  Dr.  Hering’s  time  was  very  much  taken  up  by  calls 
from  a great  many  of  these  strangers,  all  of  whom  wished  to  see 
Dr.  Hering.  I began  to  fear  that  I should  not  enjoy  a visit  to 
him,  when,  on  the  day  of  Dr.  Lippe’s  dinner  at  the  Union  League 
Club  House,  Dr.  Hering  said  to  me,  “ Come  here  this  afternoon 
and  go  with  me  to  the  dinner,  I shall  not  go  unless  you  go  with 
me.”  I was  told  that  he  seldom  went  out  alone  now,  and  as  he 
desired  me  to  go  with  him  for  fear  that  he  should  fail  to  see 
me  at  any  other  time,  I did  not  fail  to  go.  We  took  the  cars 
on  Twelfth  St.,  at  his  door,  and  rode  to  Walnut  St.,  where  we 
took  other  cars  and  rode  to  Broad  St.  near  the  Club  House.  It 
rained  hard  all  the  time,  but  this  did  not  disturb  him.  He 
talked  all  the  way  about  the  first  winter  when  the  new  faculty 
lectured  and  of  the  class,  all  of  whom  he  seemed  to  look  upon 
as  his  children.  Some  of  these  he  met  at  the  dinner  table.  He 
seemed  very  happy  all  the  evening  but  was  glad  to  get  home 
again.  When  I left  him  he  said,  “ Now  when  you  come  to 
Philadelphia  again  we  will  call  on  Dr.  Lippe  together,  and  I 
shall  not  go  until  you  go  with  me.”  I saw  him  but  once  more 
at  this  time  and  then  only  for  a few  minutes.  He  said,  “ There 
are  so  many  here  nowT  to  see  me  that  I have  no  time  for  you,  but  I 
am  hungry  to  see  you  just  the  same.”  There  was  always  a chair 
at  the  table  for  me,  where  I afterwards  learned  to  like  cheese, 
but  I did  not  want  it  in  two  ounce  doses  without  bread.  I can 
vouch  for  the  flavor  of  limburger  cheese  when  taken  in  small 
quantities  and  as  a flavor  to  bread  or  crackers. 

In  1877  I was  at  his  house  again,  when  he  invited  several  of 
his  friends  to  supper  with  me  in  the  garden.  He  seemed  more 
fond  than  ever  to  call  around  him  the  younger  members  of  the 
profession,  and  on  this  afternoon  I think  there  were  at  least  ten 
or  twelve.  He  was  particularly  pleased  that  so  many  came  to 

15 


226 


see  him.  When  he  invited  me  to  come  to  this  supper  he  said, 
“ I want  them  to  see  the  man  who  saved  Lachesis.”  After  they 
were  gone  he  talked  about  the  first  time  we  met  in  this  same 
garden  and  how  unexpected  the  meeting  was.  He  had  received 
my  letter  asking  to  be  allowed  to  call  on  him  for  instruction  in 
Homoeopathy,  only  a day  or  two  before.  He  said  that  this  had 
been  his  chief  pleasure  in  life,  meaning  the  imparting  to  others 
whatever  he  knew.  We  expected  then  to  make  our  call  on  Dr. 
Lippe  but  were  prevented.  This  called  up  the  time  when  Dr. 
Lippe  was  very  sick  wTith  typhoid  fever  and  his  visit  to  see 
him,  when  he  took  down  the  Materia  Medica  and  looked  it 
through  and  found  the  remedy  in  Silicea,  which  soon  changed 
the  whole  condition,  and  Dr.  Lippe  was  saved  to  Homoeopathy. 
When  I left  him  he  said,  “ Come  again  next  year.”  I said 
yes,  and  I fully  expected  to  have  done  so  but  I did  not, 
and  I never  saw  him  again.  In  writing  these  reminiscences  I 
have  given  our  association  as  it  recurred  to  me.  On  reading  it 
over  I am  forced  to  wonder  whether  his  friendship  for  me  was 
any  closer  than  for  others.  I sometimes  feel  that  I was  more 
than  ordinarily  a favorite,  but  when  I recall  the  memory  of  those 
whom  I have  met  at  his  house  I can  not  pride  myself  on  it.  I 
will  not  undertake  to  name  these  others,  but  as  I remember  what 
Dr.  Hering  said  of  them  I can  but  think  that  had  I not  wanted 
instruction  in  Homoeopathy  I should  never  have  found  the  way 
to  his  heart,  and  so  must  give  the  honor  to  Homoeopathy  instead 
of  to  myself. 

This  morning  a postman  brought  me  a letter  with  the  post- 
mark Philadelphia.  On  opening  it  I read,  “ Enclosed  I send 
you  a lock  of  father’s  hair.”  How  glad  I was  to  get  it  I will 
not  undertake  to  tell,  but  I will  say  that  I shall  cherish  it  as  a 
memento  of  that  dear  old  man  who  for  so  many  years  honored  me 
with  his  warm  friendship. 

Dr.  John  K.  Lee  surrendered  the  chair  at  this  stage  of 
the  proceedings  to  Dr.  Henry  N.  Guernsey  and  addressed 
the  meeting  as  follows : 


227 


We  have  listened  with  intense  interest  to  the  naration  of  the 
personal  reminiscences  of  Dr.  Hering  and  been  touched  by  the 
glowing  eulogies  upon  his  life,  and  it  may  seem  superfluous  and 
redundant  to  pay  a further  tribute  to  his  revered  memory.  But 
whilst  he  has  been  extolled  for  the  greatness  of  his  intellect,  his 
profound  erudition,  his  untiring  research  and  his  devotion  to  his 
profession,  still  the  portraiture  is  incomplete  because  it  does  not 
include  a delineation  of  his  moral  qualities.  And  these,  accord- 
ing to  their  development,  either  add  grace  and  dignity  to  intel- 
lectual endowments  and  link  man  to  his  Creator,  or  else  dim  the 
splendor  of  his  achievements,  tarnish  the  lustre  of  his  fame  and 
spread  a pall  of  darkness  over  his  grave. 

In  this  respect,  I am  happy  to  affirm,  that  it  is  not  necessary 
to  prevaricate  or  enfold  Dr.  Hering  in  the  mantle  of  charity, 
since  his  moral  nature  expanded  in  beautiful  harmony  with  his 
mind,  and  blending,  they  reflected  each  the  glory  of  the  other 
and  formed  a well  rounded  and  symmetrical  character,  always 
grand,  because  it  was  underlaid  by  simplicity  and  fidelity  to 
truth. 

A single  instance  in  his  history,  related  to  me  by  one  who  was 
admitted  to  his  confidence  and  privacy,  will  illustrate  the  eleva- 
tion of  his  moral  sentiments,  his  magnanimity  and  his  abhorrence 
of  the  least  departure  from  the  path  of  rectitude  and  honor. 
Some  years  ago,  says  the  relator,  during  a conversation  with  Dr. 

Hering,  he  remarked,  “ J is  stopping  with  me.  He  is  a man 

of  wonderful  ability,  but  I have  lost  all  regard  for  him.  At 
supper  last  evening,  in  a burst  of  feeling,  he  said,  ‘ O how  badly 
it  makes  one  feel  to  be  convinced  of  error ! ’ I felt  indignated  at 
such  a sentiment  and  replied,  No ! not  if  he  be  moved  by  proper 
motives.  The  only  feeling  of  an  honest  man  should  be,  how  glad 
I am  to  learn  the  truth ; and  from  that  moment  I lost  all  regard 
for  the  man.”  The  thought  here  expressed  is  so  lofty,  grand 
and  pure,  that  I will  not  impair  its  force  by  verbal  comments, 
but  leave  it  to  penetrate  your  minds  and  influence  your  lives. 


228 


Dr.  Joseph  C.  Guernsey  here  arose  and  addressed  the 
chair  as  follows : 

Mr.  President : — I do  not  rise  to  eulogize  Dr.  Hering,  or  to 
recount  his  many  good  works  in  the  advancement  of  our  cause. 
There  are  many  here  to-night  who  can  do,  and  have  already 
done,  more  justice  to  that  than  I. 

I merely  wish  to  present  an  interesting  memento  relative  to  his 
medical  graduation.  It  is  a translation  from  the  Latin  of  the 
subjects  of  his  Thesis,  which  he  defended  in  public  disputation 
before  graduating  at  the  University  of  Wurzburg,  in  the  year 
1826. 


The  following  preamble  is  printed  in  Latin  on  the 
cover  of  the  Dissertation : 

Johann  Lucas  Schoenlein,  Dean  pro  tempore  of  the  gra- 
cious order  of  physicians,  Doctor  of  Philosophy,  Medicine 
and  Surgery,  and  public  professor  in  ordinary,  etc.,  etc., 
with  all  due  courtesy,  invites  the  noble  vice-rector  of  the 
Academy,  the  senate  fathers,  the  professors  of  all  grades, 
the  academic  citizens,  finally  men  of  letters  and  the  pa- 
trons of  letters,  to  a public  disputation,  to  be  held  March 
22d,  1826,  at  9 a.m.,  by  the  very  noble,  illustrious  and 
learned  man,  Mr.  Constantine  Hering,  Saxon,  under  the 
presidency  of  Caritanus  Textor,  Doctor  of  Philosophy, 
Medicine  and  Surgery,  Aulic  Councillor  to  the  August 
King  of  Bavaria,  and  public  professor  in  ordinary,  etc., 
etc.,  for  the  purpose  of  duly  obtaining  the  highest  honors 
in  Medicine,  Surgery  and  Obstetrics. 


229 


Inaugural  Dissertation. 

On  Psychic  Remedies. 

Theses. 

I. 

Springs  are  living  fossils. 

II. 

I hold  that  there  are  nerves  in  the  placenta. 

III. 

The  “ganglion  petrosum”  is  to  the  ear  what  the  “gan- 
glion ophthalmicum  ” is  to  the  eye. 

IV. 

The  olfactory,  optic  and  acoustic  nerves  are  apophyses  of 
the  cerebrum  and  cerebellum,  not  nerves. 

Y. 

The  old  man  is  the  perfect  man. 

VI. 

Materia  Medica  is  to  Hahnemann  what  Pathology  was 
to  Hippocrates. 

VII. 

Such  as  life  is,  is  disease. 

VIII. 

The  rational  system  is  not  merely  the  better,  but  the 
only  one  in  pathology. 

IX. 

I deny  psychical  diseases. 

X. 

Any  disease  may  be  removed  at  any  stage. 


230 


XL 

No  one  has  yet  appeared  to  refute  Hahnemann. 

XII. 

Homoeopathy  is  heterostheny,  and  its  fundamental  law : 
Contraria  contrariis. 

XIII. 

In  the  struggle  of  vital  forces  as  a foundation  rests  every 
vital  effect. 

XIV. 

There  is  only  one  normal  position  for  the  foetus. 

XV. 

The  resurrection  of  the  dead  is  the  highest  ideal  of 
medical  art. 

XVI. 

Not  to  deliver  individual  men  from  particular  diseases, 
but  to  deliver  the  whole  human  race  from  the 
cause  of  disease,  is  the  ultimate  goal 
of  medical  science. 

Inaugural  Subjects. 

I.  — President’s  Question. 

The  checking  of  traumatic  hemorrhages. 

II.  — Candidate’s  Subject. 

THE  MEDICINE  OF  THE  FUTUEE. 

Dr.  Charles  Mohr  then  rose  and  made  the  following 
remarks : 

“ I approach  the  subject  of  anything  relating  to  the  life  and 
work  of  Dr.  Hering  with  a great  deal  of  diffidence.  But  on 


231 


this  occasion  I cannot,  consistently  with  my  sense  of  duty,  neg- 
lect saying  a word  or  two  in  regard  to  the  manner  in  which  Dr. 
Hering  treated  the  stranger  student  and  younger  practitioner  of 
Homoeopathy.  I remember  the  first  time  I ever  saw  Dr.  Hering. 
It  was  one  evening  after  I had  attended  a lecture  in  this  room 
and  I was  somewhat  perplexed  about  a case  I was  treating  and  I 
thought  I would  like  to  hear  what  he  had  to  say  in  relation  to 
what  had  best  be  done.  I rang  his  door  bell,  was  shown  into  his 
office,  and  when  I told  him  what  my  purpose  was  in  seeing  him 
he  at  once  extended  his  hand  and  gave  mine  a hearty  shake  and 
said  “ sit  down,”  and  after  he  had  waited  upon  two  or  three  pa- 
tients he  was  ready  to  hear  my  story,  which  I related.  I think 
it  was  more  than  an  hour  before  I was  able  to  leave  him. 
He  gave  me  his  opinion  as  to  the  nature  of  the  case  and  what  I 
might  expect  and  what  in  his  judgment  was  the  proper  remedy, 
and  I wondered  that  the  man,  without  the  least  idea  of  receiving 
any  remuneration,  should  take  so  much  time  and  trouble  to  give 
me,  an  utter  stranger,  the  knowledge  I desired ; and  when  I rose 
to  say  my  good-bye  and  express  my  thanks  he  extended  his  hand 
again  and,  shaking  mine  with  a hearty  grip,  he  said  in  that  tone 
which  after  that  became  very  familiar  to  me,  “Well,  come  again  !” 
And  I did  go  again  and  again,  and  I never  saw  Dr.  Hering  in 
my  life  that  I did  not  learn  something  which  has  profited  me  and 
profited  those  who  came  within  the  influence  of  my  professional 
life. 

I saw  Dr.  Hering  for  the  last  time  just  two  days  before  his  death. 
He  was  reclining  on  his  couch  in  his  study  with  books  and  papers 
piled  about  him,  showing  that  he  had  been  hard  at  work  before 
he  lay  down  to  take  a needed  rest.  My  business  then  was  to 
see  him  in  relation  to  a new  subscriber  to  “ The  Guiding  Symp- 
toms,” his  life-work.  When  I told  him  that  it  was  necessary  for 
him  to  sign  a paper,  as  president  of  the  Society  that  was  pub- 
lishing his  work,  he  got  up  like  a new  man  to  affix  his  signa- 
ture, apparently  delighted  that  one  other  man  in  the  Homoe- 
opathic profession  appreciated  his  work  sufficiently  to  assist  in 


232 


supplying  the  means  to  further  its  publication.  As  was  his  wont 
on  such  occasions  he  began  to  talk  about  his  Magnum  opus  and 
about  the  prospects  of  the  American  Homoeopathic  Publishing 
Society ; and  inasmuch  as  several  of  the  speakers  this  evening 
have  referred  to  that  work,  and  of  its  completion,  I feel  im- 
pelled as  one  of  the  editors  to  state  here  that  it  is  the  purpose 
of  Drs.  Raue,  Knerr  and  myself  to  give  the  profession  the 
Guiding  Symptoms  just  as  Dr.  Hering  would  have  given  it  had 
he  lived  to  complete  it. 

On  this  occasion  we  may  naturally  ask,  what  can  be  done  to 
perpetuate  the  memory  of  Dr.  Hering?  We  may  publish  a 
memorial  volume ; we  may  build  a monument  of  the  finest 
marble ; but  neither  of  these  would  be  so  grateful  to  our  departed 
friend — if  things  transpiring  here  are  known  in  the  higher  life — 
as  the  publication  of  the  whole  of  the  work  on  which  he  was  en- 
gaged almost  hourly  for  the  last  fifty  years.  In  the  Guiding 
Symptoms  Dr.  Hering  has  perpetuated  his  own  memory ; but  the 
great  bulk  of  the  work  is  in  manuscript,  and  I think  this  a fitting 
time  to  appeal  to  the  profession  in  the  United  States  and  the 
world  by  generous  subscriptions  to  help  the  editors  to  publish 
the  work  as  Dr.  Hering  would  have  been  pleased  to  complete  it. 
I do  not  know  what  more  fitting  thing  the  profession  could  do 
than  that ; and  besides  that  it  must  be  remembered  that  the 
work  is  a legacy  to  the  Doctor’s  family. 

He  said  to  me  one  day : “ Before  the  tenth  volume  is  out  I 
shall  not  be  with  you.  I do  not  know  whether  I shall  live  to  see 
the  completion  of  another  volume,  but  I feel  that  the  Guiding 
Symptoms  will  be  finished,  and,  perhaps,  from  my  place  in 
heaven,  I may  peep  through  a little  hole  and  see  that  my  work 
is  well  done.” 

Now  even  such  an  expression  as  that,  so  simple  and  childlike, 
shows  that  his  whole  heart  and  soul  Avere  wrapped  up  in  the  com- 
pletion of  that  work,  and  I ask  again,  what  thing  can  we  do 
better  than  to  get  out  of  the  shelves  of  his  study  the  materials  he 
has  collected  for  the  last  fifty  years,  and  give  them  to  the  pro- 
fession and  the  world,  for  the  benefit  of  suffering  humanity. 


233 


There  being  no  other  speakers,  a motion  made  on  be- 
half of  the  Memorial  Committee,  that  they  be  discharged, 
was  duly  carried. 

It  was  next  resolved  to  appoint  a Committee  to  solicit 
subscriptions  to  defray  the  expenses  of  publishing  a Me- 
morial Volume,  to  contain  a biographical  sketch  of  Dr. 
Hering,  and  the  transactions  of  the  meetings  held  in  all 
parts  of  the  world  in  his  memory.  On  motion  the  liter- 
ary executors  of  Dr.  Hering,  namely,  Drs.  C.  G.  Raue, 
C.  B.  Knerr,  and  C.  Mohr,  were  appointed  to  constitute 
this  Committee,  and  they  were  given  full  power  to  edit 
and  publish  the  volume  as  to  them  seemed  best. 

On  motion  the  meeting  then  adjourned. 


ST.  LOUIS  MEMORIAL  SERVICES. 

In  compliance  with  the  request  of  the  Memorial  Com- 
mittee, and  under  the  inspiration  of  such  an  appropriate 
and  beautiful  thought,  something  over  four  hundred  of 
the  best  people  of  St.  Louis  met  at  Pickwick  Hall  on  Sun- 
day evening,  October  10th,  1880,  to  listen  to  the  Hering 
Memorial  Services  given  under  the  auspices  of  the  St. 
Louis  Society  of  Homoeopathic  Physicians  and  Surgeons. 

Music  softened  and  sweetened  the  air.  The  hush  of 
prayer  pervaded  every  heart;  the  muses  sang  in  lyric 
and  heroic  verse,  and  oratory,  in  all  the  luxuriant  finish 
of  classic  diction,  hung  garlands  of  immortelles  all  along 
the  wondrous  career  of  the  hero  whose  memory  it  was 
meet  to  honor. 


234 


The  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  W.  A.  Edmonds, 
M.D.,  President  of  the  St.  Louis  Society  of  Homoeopathic 
Physicians  and  Surgeons,  when  a Quartette : “ Come 
Gracious  Spirit”  (E.  Marzo),  was  sung  by  Mrs.  0.  Girard, 
Mrs.  J.  E.  Mills,  Prof.  Allman,  and  H.  Blickhan.  Miss 
Lizzie  Garriott,  accompanist. 

After  an  invocation  by  Rev.  John  Snyder,  Dr.  Charles 
Gundelach  read  the  following  biographical  sketch : 

Constantine  Hering  was  born  in  Oschatz,  Saxony,  on  the  first 
day  of  January,  1800.  From  his  earliest  age  he  exhibited  an 
insatiable  thirst  for  knowledge,  and  many  of  his  boyhood’s  ear- 
liest hours  were  spent  in  wandering  over  his  native  hills  explor- 
ing the  works  of  nature.  From  1811  to  1817,  while  attending 
the  classical  school  at  Zittau,  he  made  a large  and  valuable  col- 
lection of  minerals,  herbs,  skulls  and  bones  of  animals.  His 
medical  studies  were  pursued  at  the  Surgical  Academy  of  Dres- 
den. Later  he  entered  the  University  of  Leipzig.  Here  the 
celebrated  surgeon,  T.  Henry  Robbi,  who  was  his  preceptor, 
made  him,  in  1820,  his  assistant.  While  thus  employed,  Dr. 
Robbi  was  requested  by  the  founder  of  a publishing  house  to 
prepare  a work  that  in  its  thorough  exposure  of  the  system, 
should  utterly  uproot  Homoeopathy  from  the  land.  Dr.  Robbi 
declined  the  enterprise,  but  referred  to  young  Hering  as  one 
perfectly  competent  for  the  task.  Hering  accepted,  and  in 
preparing  himself  was  compelled  to  consult  the  works  of  Hahne- 
mann, which,  after  a diligent  research  and  study,  convinced  him 
of  the  truth  of  the  law,  “Similia  Similibus  Curantur.”  He 
pursued  this  new  study  with  characteristic  ardor  against  the 
counsels  of  his  teachers  and  the  entreaties  of  his  friends.  An 
incident  which  occurred  about  this  time  contributed  largely  to 
the  decision  at  which  he  had  arrived.  He  had  received  a dis- 
secting wound  which  resisted  the  utmost  efforts  of  the  best  phy- 


235 


sicians  and  surgeons.  His  hand  was  in  such  a condition  that 
amputation  was  advised  as  the  only  hope  of  saving  his  life.  In 
this  exigency  the  treatment  with  Arsenicum,  administered  by  a 
homoeopathic  friend,  proved  eminently  successful  and  saved  the 
limb.  Hr.  Hering  then  determined  to  devote  his  life  to  Homoe- 
opathy. In  1825  he  was  enabled  to  prosecute  his  studies  at  the 
University  of  Wurzburg,  where  he  graduated  the  next  year  on 
the  23d  day  of  March,  with  honor,  defending  at  the  same  time 
his  chosen  thesis,  “De  medicina  futura,”  thus  showing  no*  conceal- 
ment of  his  sympathy  with  the  views  of  Hahnemann. 

In  the  following  year  he  was  appointed  instructor  in  mathe- 
matics and  natural  science  in  Blochmann’s  Institute  in  Dresden, 
and  after  remaining  there  for  several  months  he  was  appointed 
a member  of  the  royal  commission  to  make  researches  and  col- 
lections in  zoology  in  Surinam,  South  America.  During  his  stay 
there  he  continued  his  study  of  Homoeopathy  and  practiced  it  to 
some  extent,  besides  writing  some  articles  for  the  “ Homoeopathic 
Archives.”  This  latter  proceeding  was  brought  to  the  notice  of 
the  King,  who  directed  Dr.  Hering  to  coniine  himself  to  the 
duties  of  his  appointment  and  let  outside  matters  alone..  By  re- 
turn mail  Dr.  Hering  sent  in  a report  of  his  accounts  in  full, 
and  resigning  his  official  position,  began  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine in  Paramaribo.  A few  years  later  he  sailed  for  home,  and 
on  the  way  lajided  in  Philadelphia,  in  1833.  Here  he  found 
that  a good  introduction  of  Homoeopathy  had  been  made  by  the 
late  Dr.  George  H.  Bute  in  the  previous  year,  during  the  epi- 
demic of  cholera.  He  was  persuaded  to  stay,  and  soon  acquired 
a large  and  lucrative  practice.  Dr.  Wm.  Wesselhoeft,  who  had 
established  Homoeopathy  on  a firm  footing  in  several  counties  in 
Pennsylvania,  made  Dr.  Hering’s  acquaintance  and  proposed 
the  establishment  of  a homoeopathic  school  at  Allentown,  which 
was  to  be  supported  by  a stock  company.  Dr.  Hering  agreed  to 
remove  to  Allentown  and  to  assist  in  the  school  whenever  a 
salary  was  “guaranteed  to  him  equal  to  that  of  any  first-class 
clergyman  in  Allentown.” 


236 


The  stock  company  was  formed  and  the  small  salary  provided, 
and  Dr.  Hering  went  to  Allentown,  where  he  remained  two  or 
three  years.  He  was  made  president  of  the  Homoeopathic 
School,  which  was  the  first  of  its  kind  in  the  world,  and  from 
which  the  Homoeopathic  Medical  College  of  Pennsylvania  after- 
wards sprung.  Dr.  Hering  returned  to  Philadelphia  and  has 
resided  there  ever  since.  He  published  a pamphlet  on  “The 
Rise  and  Progress  of  Homoeopathy,”  which  had  a very  extensive 
circulation.  In  1846  the  Homoeopathic  Medical  College  of 
Pennsylvania  was  founded,  and  Dr.  Hering  was  elected  Profes- 
sor of  Institutes  and  Materia  Medica,  which  he  held  at  intervals 
until  1867,  when  he  assisted  in  founding  the  Hahnemann  Medi- 
cal College  of  Philadelphia,  in  which  he  held  the  same  chair 
until  1869,  when  he  resigned  and  was  made  Emeritus  Professor. 

Dr.  Hering  was  a member  of  the  Academy  of  Natural 
Sciences  of  Philadelphia,  to  which  institution  he  presented  his 
large  zoological  collection.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
American  Institute  of  Homoeopathy,  and  was  its  first  president. 
He  was  also  one  of  the  originators  of  the  American  Provers’ 
Union,  instituted  August  10th,  1853. 

Dr.  Hering’s  life  work  was  Materia  Medica.  He  made  physio- 
logical provings  of  the  most  of  our  remedies,  introduced  many 
new  and  very  valuable  drugs,  and  published  his  remedies  and 
experiences  in  different  works,  and  was  during  all  his  years  of 
practice  a very  diligent  contributor  to  the  periodical  medical 
literature  in  America,  as  well  as  iu  Germany.  Of  his  publica- 
tions should  be  mentioned  his  “ Domestic  Physician,”  published 
in  1835.  This  work  passed  through  seven  editions  in  America, 
two  in  England,  thirteen  in  Germany,  and  has  also  be$n  trans- 
lated into  the  French,  Spanish,  Italian,  Danish,  Hungarian, 
Russian  and  Swedish  languages ; 

The  Effects  of  Snake  Poison,  1837 ; 

Suggestions  for  the  Provings  of  Drugs,  1853 ; 

Amerikanische  Arzneipruefungen,  1853-1857  ; 

Translation  of  Gross’  Comparative  Materia  Medica,  1866 ; 


237 


Analytical  Therapeutics,  first  volume,  1875  ; 

Condensed  Materia  Medica,  two  editions,  1877-1879  ; and 

Guiding  Symptoms,  the  third  volume  of  which  he  began  just 
prior  to  his  death.  This,  his  life-work,  proposed  to  give  the 
characteristics  of  every  drug  used  by  the  homoeopathic  profes- 
sion. The  manuscript  is  in  such  shape  that  the  work  can  be 
completed. 

In  person,  Dr.  Hering  had  an  imposing  and  dignified  appear- 
ance. He  was  tall  and  wore  spectacles ; beard  full  and  hair 
long  and  curling.  Dr.  Hering  was  married  three  times.  His 
first  wife  he  married  in  South  America,  where  she  died,  leaving 
one  son,  who  now  resides  in  Paramaribo.  While  living  in  Allen- 
town he  married  a Philadelphia  lady,  by  whom  he  had  three 
children,  only  one  surviving,  a daughter,  married  and  living  in 
Boston.  His  second  wife  died,  and  during  a visit  to  Germany 
in  1845  he  married  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Buchheim,  a celebrated 
allopathic  physician,  by  whom  he  had  eight  children,  six  of 
whom  and  their  mother  survive  him. 

Dr.  Hering  enjoyed  good  health  until  about  ten  years  ago, 
when,  at  the  ripe  age  of  seventy,  he  occasionally  suffered  from 
attacks  of  asthma.  Even  to  the  last  day  of  his  life  he  was  in 
comparative  good  health,  having  attended  to  his  patients  during 
the  day,  had  retired  later  in  the  evening  to  his  library  and  was 
engaged  in  his  literary  study,  when  suddenly  he  was  attacked 
with  paralysis  of  the  heart  and  died,  surrounded  by  his  sorrow- 
ing family,  on  Friday  evening,  July  23d,  1880,  in  the  81st  year 
of  his  age. 

Dr.  W.  A.  Edmonds  followed  with  these  remarks : 

We  are  here,  saddened  and  subdued  by  bereavement  in  the 
death  of  our  distinguished  friend,  to  condole  with  each  other  in 
our  severe  loss,  and  to  pay  the  last  sad  tribute  to  his  blessed 
memory. 

In  surveying  a great  and  noble  life,  like  that  of  Dr.  Hering, 
we  very  naturally  incline  to  be  inquisitive  as  to  the  peculiar 


238 


point  or  quality  of  character  which  may  have  resulted  in  so 
much  usefulness  and  prominence. 

Undoubtedly  the  great  beacon  light  of  his  life-work  and 
charm  of  his  character,  was  his  enthusiasm;  the  enthusiasm  of 
conviction,  and  especially  his  conviction  as  to  the  theoretical  and 
practical  truth  of  Homoeopathy. 

By  enthusiasm,  we  understand  that  particular  emotional  glow 
and  warmth  of  delight  experienced  upon  the  attainment  of  a 
new  knowledge  or  new  idea. 

All  of  us  have  greater  or  less  experience  of  such  emotion ; 
but  so  soon  do  we  turn  aside  into  the  avenues  of  sordidness  and 
selfishness,  to  see  what  of  gain  or  position  may  be  made  out  of 
the  newly  gotten  idea,  that  the  sensation,  like  the  sparkle  and 
aroma  of  the  recently  uncorked  vintage,  wastes  with  the  touch 
of  early  use. 

A pure  and  unalloyed  enthusiasm  is  not  found  in  companion- 
ship with  avarice,  ambition  and  untruthfulness.  The  purely 
selfish  intriguer  may  be  impelled  by  his  desires,  to  heroic  efforts 
and  deeds  of  daring,  but  is  ever  a stranger  to  that  holy  poetic 
fire  which  warmed  and  illumined  the  pathway  in  the  life  of  our 
distinguished  comrade.  To  say,  then,  that  he  was  enthusiastic,  is 
to  say  that  he  was  truthful  and  loyal  to  his  convictions. 

Peculiarities  of  organization  and  modes  of  life,  as  before  inti- 
mated, render  enthusiasm  with  most  of  us  an  ephemeral  affair. 
With  our  dear  departed  friend,  this  activity  was  in  ceaseless 
motion  ever  present.  He  loved  the  truth  for  itself,  and  for  its 
usefulness  to  humanity ; he  loved  it  as  the  young  mother  loves 
her  newly  first-born ; and  as  the  love  grew  older,  it  grew 
stronger  and  warmer,  until  in  the  very  last  days  of  a long  and 
eventful  life,  it  shone  with  a phosphorescent  glow  and  undimmed 
splendor.  His  unselfish  love  of  the  truth  and  devotion  to  con- 
viction was  “ a thing  of  beauty,  a joy  forever.”  With  all  my 
soul  I bow  with  reverence  and  adoration  in  presence  of  a life  so 
resplendent  with  loyalty  to  truth,  or  at  least  that  which  he  be- 
lieved to  be  true.  Hundreds  of  practitioners,  the  country  over, 


239 


evince  much  of  his  brain  power  and  industry,  but  for  want  of 
his  mental  warmth  never  approached  his  eminence.  There 
seemed  to  be  a charm  and  magnetism  about  this  element  of 
his  character,  which  sent  him  at  a bound  away  ahead  of  all 
competition.  When  a new  knowledge,  or  a new  truth  had  set 
his  head  and  heart  fairly  aglow,  he  never  halted  to  inquire  what 
might  be  the  consequence  of  its  adoption ; whether  it  would 
bring  gain  and  position  or  loss  and  disparagement.  In  the  earlier 
years  of  his  life,  he  was  requested  by  his  preceptor,  to  furnish  a 
paper  in  refutation  of  Homoeopathy.  Most  young  men  under  such 
circumstances  would  have  set  to  work  in  quest  of  material  to 
furnish  the  desired  refutation  and  thereby  receive  the  approba- 
tion of  his  superior.  But  he,  with  a true  nobility  of  soul,  went 
straight  to  the  side  of  Homoeopathy  to  ascertain  what  might  be 
said  in  its  favor,  with  the  result  of  his  immediate  conviction  and 
conversion,  instead  of  the  contemplated  refutation. 

At  a later  period  of  his  life  he,  with  others,  was  sent  abroad 
by  his  government  for  scientific  purposes.  Very  soon  he  was 
detected  by  one  of  his  medical  associates  in  the  promulgation 
and  practice  of  Homoeopathy,  who  at  once  reported  his  conduct 
to  his  superiors.  He  was  ordered  to  confine  his  attention  to 
special  objects  of  his  appointment. 

Promptly  he  closed  his  portfolio,  set  his  papers  and  accounts 
in  order,  tendered  his  resignation,  entered  upon  his  life-work  in 
the  teaching  and  practice  of  his  profession  ; and  so  continued  to 
teach  and  practice,  through  good  or  evil  report,  praise  or  dis- 
paragement ; living  long  enough  to  see  the  hated  heresy  a power 
in  the  civilized  world,  and  a boon  to  humanity,  in  the  ills  to 
which  flesh  is  heir. 

In  tracing  his  life  and  character,  we  find  a striking  parallel  to 
that  of  the  dramatic  life  of  the  illustrious  Apostle  Paul,  who 
had  but  to  know  the  truth  of  his  convictions  in  any  given 
premise,  and  he  was  ready  to  brave  all  the  perils  and  hardships 
of  fire,  famine,  stripes,  imprisonments,  shipwreck  and  martyrdom 
in  its  vindication.  The  trials  of  our  friend  were  less  literal  and 


240 


corporeal,  but  the  social  and  official  ostracism  of  his  early  days 
were  scarcely  less  trying  to  a sensitive  and  noble  nature. 

Who  shall  estimate  the  results  of  such  a life  as  its  benign  in- 
fluence radiates  and  ramifies  down  the  chambers  and  corridors 
of  time,  through  ceaseless  future  ages,  until  our  efforts  at  com- 
prehension are  paled  and  wearied  as  in  an  attempt  to  grasp  an 
infinity. 

“ If  a man  die,  shall  he  live  again  ? ” Let  us,  our  friends,  in 
this,  our  hour  of  bereavement,  accept  such  a life  and  character 
as  a great  and  mighty  revelation  in  behalf  of  the  soul’s  immor- 
tality. The  good  Father  never  made  such  a life  to  go  down  in 
one  eternal  night  of  annihilation.  In  the  matter  of  what  we 
call  his  death,  we  recognize  the  breaking  up  of  the  casket  in  or- 
der that  the  jewel  may  have  a new  setting,  to  fit  it  for  the  glories 
and  splendor  of  the  great  beyond,  where  it  is  destined  to  glow 
and  sparkle  with  an  ever  increasing  brilliancy,  through  the 
countless  cycles  of  an  eternity,  of  which  we  may  talk  and  write, 
but  of  which  our  present  finite  powers  can  have  but  a poverty 
of  expression  or  appreciation. 

Our  friend  in  the  flesh  has  gone ; we  shall  see  his  face  here  no 
more  forever. 

For  eighty  long  winters  and  summers  did  he  continue  the 
voyage  of  life,  and  when  his  mortality  went  down  in  the  Jordan 
of  death,  he  went  down  as  some  gallant  ship,  with  sails  unfurled 
and  banners  flying,  with  the  inscription  high  over  all : “ Ho- 
moeopathy as  a truth  once,  always  and  forever.” 

Dr.  S.  B.  Parsons  prefaced  the  reading  of  the  following 
poem  by  saying : 

The  theme  of  this  poem  was  suggested  by  an  incident  in  the 
life  of  Dr.  Hering,  which  was  that,  in  the  early  part  of  his  pro- 
fessional career  in  Philadelphia,  he  was  called  to  attend  a little 
girl,  an  only  child,  who  had  been  given  up  to  die  by  all  the  phy- 
sicians that  had  seen  her.  Dr.  Hering  was  summoned  to  the  • 


241 


case,  not  because  the  parents  had  any  faith  in  the  homoeopathic 
mode  of  practice,  but  because  they  had  heard  of  him  as  a gentle- 
man of  culture,  a man  of  scientific  attainments,  and  hoped  there 
might  something  be  found  in  his  treatment  that  would  restore 
their  loved  one  to  health.  Dr.  liering’s  treatment  was  success- 
ful, and  when  his  little  patient  was  out  of  danger  and  able  to 
talk  and  laugh  with  her  mother,  the  parents  overwhelmed  him 
with  expressions  of  gratitude,  complimenting  him  in  the  warmest 
terms  on  his  skill  and  ability,  and  drew  a bright  picture  of  his 
future  life  and  the  high  eminence  he  would  some  day  attain  in 
his  profession.  When  they  had  ceased,  he  thanked  them  kindly, 
and  replied : “I  am  nothing,  God  is  great ! ” 

Could  we  draw  the  veil  aside 
From  the  night  of  infant  state, 

Mortal  eyes  would  see  the  guide — 

“ I am  nothing  ! God  is  great ! ” 

Happy  childhood — morn  of  life — 

Chasing  shadows  drawn  by  fate, 

Knows  but  faintly  in  the  strife — 

“ I am  nothing  ! God  is  great ! ” 

Ever  smiling,  sunny  youth, 

Weaving  webs  to  captivate, 

Then  unfolds  the  spirit’s  truth — 

“ I am  nothing  ! God  is  great ! ” 

Resting  on  the  fair  mid-land 
’Tween  the  in  and  outer  gate, 

Budding  manhood’s  thoughts  expand — 

“ I am  nothing  ! God  is  great ! ” 

In  the  bloom  of  life’s  bright  day, 

Lurid  storms  may  devastate ; 

Through  the  darkness  beams  a ray — 

“ I am  nothing  ! God  is  great ! ” 

Hearer  draws  futurity, 

Nor  asks  the  penitent  to  wait : 

Clearer  sees  maturity — 

“ I am  nothing  ! God  is  great ! ” 

Gently  comes  life’s  winter  day, 

When  the  heart  seems  desolate  ; 

In  true  faith  will  be  its  lay — 

“ I am  nothing  ! God  is  great ! ” 


16 


242 


The  following  tribute  was  paid  by  Dr.  J.  Martin  Ker- 
shaw: 

As  the  majestic  river  passes  to  the  far-off  sea  beyond,  so  has 
the  life  of  him  we  have  come  to  honor,  gone  to  the  unknown 
country.  Like  the  grand  old  oak,  ever  erect  and  noble,  he  bore 
alike  the  storms  of  adversity  and  the  clouds  of  sunshine,  through- 
out the  scores  of  years  that  were  his  to  work  and  be  faithful. 
Towering  above  his  fellows,  working  and  waiting  for  what  he 
knew  was  truth,  he  was  rightfully  and  indeed  a king  among  men 
in  his  God-like  work  for  humanity.  The  truth,  the  pure,  snow- 
white,  spotless  truth  was  that  for  which  he  labored  and  toiled, 
from  the  early  spring-time  of  life,  until  the  frosty  winter  of  old 
age  had  come  upon  him,  and  then,  full  of  years  and  full  of 
honors,  he  crossed  over  to  that  land  the  Deity  has  given  to  those 
who  work  faithfully  and  well.  His  priceless  treasures  he  has 
bequeathed  to  us  and  to  the  multitudes  of  God’s  sick  and  suffer- 
ing creatures,  in  every  clime  and  country,  and  the  world  is 
richer  and  better  to-day,  because  Constantine  Hering  lived  and 
worked  in  it.  In  the  quiet  city  of  the  dead,  where  countless 
weary  toilers  sleep,  the  sad  song  of  the  autumn  winds  is  heard 
above  the  resting  place  of  him  for  whom  we  mourn  to-night ; 
but  the  earnest  life-work,  and  more  than  human  deeds  of  the 
great  departed,  still  live  for  us  and  the  coming  worlds  of  people. 

Dr.  C.  W.  Spalding  next  addressed  the  meeting  as 
follows : 

Mr.  President : There  are  epochs  in  human  history  that 
are  occasioned  by  the  discovery  and  introduction  of  new  prin- 
ciples or  laws,  which  in  their  operation  have  a direct  relation  to 
human  happiness  and  the  welfare  of  society.  Not  that  there  is 
anything  absolutely  new ; for  all  things  exist  potentially,  in  the 
Creator  from  eternity  ; and  are  called  new,  when  they  come  into 
actual  existence  in  the  material  universe. 


4 


243 


The  discovery  and  announcement  of  the  law  “ similia  simili- 
bus  curantur,”  constitutes  such  an  epoch.  Upon  this  great  basal 
verity,  has  now  been  founded  a school  of  medicine  differing 
from  all  previous  schools,  in  the  adoption,  and  application  to 
practice,  of  this  therapeutic  law.  The  fundamental  principles 
of  medical  science  are  the  same  in  all  schools  of  medicine ; the 
differences  being  chiefly  in  their  systems  of  therapeutics. 

In  order  that  the  beneficent  effects  of  a new  therapeutic  system 
should  be  made  available  for  the  alleviation  of  human  suffering 
by  the  removal  of  diseases,  it  became  necessary  to  develop  and 
establish  by  study  and  experiment,  a system  of  medication  in 
agreement  therewith.  Homoeopathic  Materia  Medica  has  arisen 
from  this  necessity.  The  proper  presentation,  and  the  ultimate 
establishment  of  new  ideas  in  the  minds  of  men,  or  of  new 
methods  in  their  habits  of  life,  call  into  activity  the  labors  of 
a class  of  minds  peculiarly  fitted  for  the  performance  of  their 
definite  tasks.  As  the  knowledge  of  the  discovery  of  this  new 
therapeutic  law  was  disseminated,  it  arrested  the  attention  of 
such  medical  minds  as  were  endowed  with  sufficient  independence 
' of  thought  to  allow  them  to  be  open  to  conviction ; and  promi- 
nently among  these  was  the  man  whose  life,  and  not  whose  death, 
we  are  now  assembled  to  commemorate.  His  first  study  of  the 
new  system  was  occasioned,  we  are  told,  by  his  being  assigned  to 
the  duty  of  refuting  it.  This  is  not  the  first  time  that  the  indi- 
vidual chosen  by  his  fellows  as  the  one  most  capable  among 
them  of  disproving  the  new  ideas,  has  become  an  able  instru- 
ment in  establishing  them  upon  surer  foundations  and  of  spread- 
ing among  mankind  a better  knowledge  of  their  transcendent 
merits. 

In  reducing  the  new  law  to  practice,  the  great  problem  to  be 
worked  out  was  the  ascertainment  by  trial  of  the  specific  action 
of  drugs  upon  the  human  system,  and  subsequently  the  orderly 
arrangement  of  the  great  mass  of  experimental  knowledge  thus 
obtained,  into  such  form  as  to  render  it  readily  available  in  the 
practice  of  medicine.  For  the  successful  accomplishment  of 


244 


this  important  task,  it  was  requisite  that  individuals  peculiarly 
qualified  by  nature  and  education  for  this  particular  work  should 
devote  their  lives  to  its  development  and  perfection.  In  this 
arduous  labor,  Dr.  Hering  has  spent  the  best  years  of  his  life. 
To  him,  in  very  large  degree,  the  homoeopathic  physician  is  in- 
debted for  the  completeness  of  our  system  of  medication.  Pa- 
tience, industry  and  untiring  perseverance  have  been  brought  to 
the  work,  and  if  any  man  is  more  than  any  other,  entitled  to  be 
called  the  apostle  of  Homoeopathic  Materia  Medica,  that  man  is 
Constantine  Hering. 

Dr.  J.  P.  Frohne  then  spoke  as  follows : 

The  gentlemen  who  spoke  before  me,  have  eloquently  dwelt 
on  the  merits  of  the  departed  as  propagator  of  Homoeopathy  in 
this  country.  Therefore,  allow  me  to  also  remember  his  love  for 
his  native  country,  of  which  especially  during  the  Franco- 
German  war  he  bore  brilliant  testimony ; celebrating  the  victory 
of  the  German  arms  most  solemnly  at  his  own  house.  He  thus 
manifested  that  he  was  proud  of  being  a native  of  Germany,  of 
that  country  which  sent  many  a great  man  over  the  ocean  to 
sow  the  seeds  of  German  thought  and  German  art  among  distant 
nations. 

The  departed  has  shown  his  love  for  his  native  country,  and 
his  interest  in  science  by  multitudes  of  articles  in  homoeopathic 
journals. 

His  essays  are  as  genial  as  they  are  instructive,  and  his 
memory  is,  in  due  appreciation  of  his  merits,  this  day  celebrated 
in  the  cities  of  all  Germany.  And,  wherever  upon  the  face  of 
the  world  Homoeopathy  has  gained  permanent  ground,  the  name 
of  Constantine  Hering  will  be  known  and  be  ever  memorable, 
since  he  has  by  his  works  secured  for  himself  an  immortal  name ! 

To  but  very  few  of  us  mortals  is  it  granted  to  do  as  much  for 
suffering  humanity  as  he  has  done,  for  Providence  had  laid  in 
him  the  talents  of  a true  therapeutist  as  well  as  of  an  author,  of 


245 


which  during  his  long  life  he  has  made  the  most  salutary  use, 
saving  the  lives  of  thousands  who  in  the  sense  of  gratitude  now 
lament  his  loss. 

The  life  and  works  of  our  Hering  ought  to  be  a shining  model 
for  us  younger  physicians,  and  may  his  memory  be  everlasting! 


The  following  remarks  were  then  made  by  Dr.  Chas. 
L.  Carriere : 

Grand  is  the  celebration  of  to-day ! The  fact  that  all  homoe- 
opathists  of  the  world  join  in  a Memorial  Service  of  one  so  uni- 
versally known,  esteemed  and  beloved  as  Dr.  Constantine  Her- 
ing makes  this  celebration  one  of  the  grandest  of  the  kind.  It 
is  proper,  therefore,  that  on  this  occasion  everything  should  be 
thought  of  which  may  add  to  the  honor  of  our  departed  friend. 

I have  chosen  to  occupy  the  few  minutes  allotted  to  me,  to 
draw  your  attention  to  the  fact  that  Dr.  Hering  was  not  only  a 
man  of  great  culture  and  a most  successful  practitioner  of  the 
Healing  Art,  but  in  addition  to  his  excellent  qualities  and  his 
superiority,  he  was  also  on  the  progressive  path  as  a Christian ; 
not  a Christian  by  name  only,  but  one  who  did  believe  and  trust 
in  Jesus  Christ,  our  Saviour.  Still,  his  faith  differed  from  the 
generally  acknowledged  doctrines  of  the  church  of  the  past. 
As  he  left  the  old  school  of  medicine  and  adopted  the  doc- 
trine of  “similia,”  and  became  one  of  the  founders  of  Homoe- 
opathy, so  he  also  left  the  old  church  and  became  a receiver 
of  the  doctrines  of  the  New  Jerusalem.  Thus  he  was  one 
of  the  beginners  and  promoters  of  the  New  Era,  both  in  Medi- 
cine and  Religion.  A German  paper,  referring  to  his  departure 
from  this  world,  says : “ Dr.  Hering  was  made  acquainted 
with  the  doctrines  of  the  New  Church  soon  after  his  arrival  in 
the  United  States ; he  received  them  with  warmth  and  zeal ; 
he  was  of  the  opinion  that  the  action  of  the  homoeopathic  reme- 
dies would  at  some  time  be  established  by  the  doctrine  of  cor- 


246 


respond ence.”  It  may  be  proper  here  to  state  that  the  doctrine 
of  correspondence  is  a doctrine  of  the  New  Church.  The  paper 
referred  to,  also  states : “ He  occasionally  mentioned  that  in  his 
house  the  first  German  Christmas  tree,  in  the  whole  large  city  of 
Philadelphia,  spread  its  brilliancy.”  The  words,  “ German 
Christmas  tree,”  were  probably  used  because  it  is  claimed  that 
the  Germans  have  introduced  that  custom  in  this  country. 

In  looking  at  Dr.  Hering  as  a medical  man  and  as  a religious 
man,  we  see  that  he  was  not  led  by  a. blind  faith,  he  was  not 
bound  to  the  doctrines  of  his  predecessors,  because  they  were  be- 
lieved by  them,  or  for  the  reason  that  they  were  the  old  and 
acknowledged  doctrines  of  the  world ; he  would  investigate  for 
himself,  and  be  a rational  believer  of  that  which  he  accepted  as 
truth.  His  religious  belief  differed  as  much,  and  even  more, 
from  the  generally  accepted  doctrine  of  the  Church,  as  his  ho- 
moeopathic theory  and  practice  differed  from  the  old  school  of 
medicine. 

The  difficulty  of  three  persons  in  the  Godhead,  and  how  to 
make  one  of  the  three,  did  not  trouble  his  mind,  for  he  knew 
and  fully  understood  that  the  Trinity  was  embodied  in  the 
Divine  Humanity  of  Christ,  and  that  there  is  but  one  God  in 
but  one  person.  Nor  was  it  difficult  for  him  to  solve  the  ap- 
parent contradiction  of  the  literal  sense  of  the  sacred  Scripture, 
neither  the  apparent  contradictions  of  scriptural  statements  with 
the  developed  facts  of  this  age ; for  he  well  knew  that  the  Word 
of  God  is  infinitely  higher  than  human  thought  or  language,  and 
that  in  the  inner  life  of  these  literal  forms  we  find  an  in- 
exhaustible fountain  of  the  Divine  Wisdom  from  which  we  may 
drink  and  never  thirst. 

From  his  knowledge  of  the  spiritual  world,  and  the  relation 
between  this  life  and  the  life  to  come,  he  knew  that  man  as  a 
spiritual  being  continues  to  live,  that  death  is  only  the  departure 
from  one  world  to  another ; that  it  is  but  the  material  body  that 
dies,  and  returns  to  the  earth  from  which  it  was  taken,  there  to 
remain  and  to  rise  no  more,  but  man  himself  will  never  die. 


247 


When  he,  therefore,  at  the  last  moments  of  his  earthly  life, 
spoke  the  words : “ I am  dying,”  he  knew  that  it  was  but  the 
material  form  that  had  fulfilled  its  mission  and  would  cease  to 
exist,  but  that  he,  who  had  for  many  years,  in  and  through  that 
body,  accomplished  great  good  to  this  world,  would  not  go 
from  this  land  of  the  living  to  the  silent  repose  of  the  dead,  but 
from  the  land  of  first  development  and  preparation  to  that  of 
eternal  perfection. 

Dr.  C.  W.  Taylor  expressed  himself  next  in  these 
words : 

“ The  air  is  filled  with  farewells  to  the  dying,  and  mournings 
for  the  dead.”  Hourly,  in  some  graveyard,  the  yawning  earth 
is  closing  around  the  inanimate  forms  of  loved  ones.  We  are 
summoned  but  once  to  join  the  innumerable  caravan  moving  on 
into  the  “ silent  land.” 

When  the  summons  came  to  Constantine  Hering,  it  found 
him  ripe  in  years  and  intellect — four  score  years  replete  with 
benefits  to  his  brother  man. 

Quietly,  as  a child,  he  sank  into  that  last  dreamless  sleep  and 
was  borne  to  the  “ garden  of  the  slumberers.” 

He  whose  soul  panted  for  communion  with  the  great  and 
good,  and  reached  forward  with  eager  struggle  to  the  guerdon  in 
the  distance,  has  passed  away. 

A flower  is  plucked  from  one  sunny  bower,  a breach  made  in 
one  happy  circle,  a jewel  stolen  from  one  treasury  of  love.  A 
harvester  has  disappeared  from  the  summer  field  of  life,  and  his 
funeral  winds  like  a wintry  shadow  along  the  street.  A sentinel 
has  fallen  from  his  post,  and  is  thrown  from  the  ramparts  of  time 
into  the  surging  waters  of  eternity ! 

His  heart  was  hopeful  and  generous,  his  life  a perpetual  litany 
— a May-time  crowned  with  passion  flowers  that  never  fade. 


248 


Deck  not  his  couch  with  sombre  shrouds, 

It  is  not  death,  but  only  sleep, 

That  kisses  down  his  eyelids  now  ; 

Then  why  should  we  in  sadness  weep? 

He  has  but  gained  the  needed  rest 

From  weary  toil,  from  care  and  strife  : 

His  fittest  meed  of  praise  will  be 
The  grandeur  of  an  earnest  life. 

Take  each  the  lesson  to  his  heart, 

And  in  his  earnest  struggles  know 
That  he  strives  best,  who  strives  for  truth, 

Though  faint  and  weary  he  may  grow. 

You  may  not  reach  your  highest  aim, 

Nor  tread  the  heights  that  Hering  trod, 

But  do  your  duty — in  that  lies 
The  path  that  leads  you  nearer  God. 

Dr.  C.  H.  Goodman  related  the  following  incidents : 

My  relations  with  Dr.  Hering  were  only  those  of  pupil  to 
teacher,  for  it  was  my  privilege  to  sit  under  his  instruction  dur- 
ing the  medical  season  of  1868-69  in  the  Hahnemann  Medical 
College  of  Philadelphia.  I can  see  him  now  as  he  hurried  into 
the  lecture  room,  his  long  hair  flowing  over  his  shoulders,  and 
his  eye  aflame  with  zeal  and  enthusiasm.  What  scrupulous  at- 
tention to  detail ; how  minutely  and  analytically  he  dw7elt  on  the 
symptomatology  of  each  drug,  carefully  weighing  and  balancing 
every  expression  and  utterance ! His  mind  was  so  full,  so  teem- 
ing with  facts  and  information,  the  hour  was  too  short  to  impart 
them  to  his  hearers.  During  my  calls  at  his  residence,  I was 
particularly  impressed  wTith  his  having  recourse  to  his  Materia 
Medica  at  every  prescription.  My  examination  hour  with  him 
was  one  of  the  pleasantest  I have  ever  passed.  The  subject  of 
my  thesis  being  of  some  interest  to  him,  he  discussed  it  fully  and 
took  occasion  to  enlarge  upon  his  own  peculiar  views  of  what 
constituted  Health  and  Disease,  and  of  the  analogy  between  the 
effects  of  the  latter  and  drug  provings.  He  narrated  to  me  at 
the  same  time  his  experience  in  curing  with  Antimonium  crudum 


249 


a large  corn  cn  the  sole  of  the  foot  of  a sea  captain.  “ Why,” 
he  remarked  with  a merry  look,  “ in  a short  time  I was  consulted 
by  all  the  captains  in  the  navy,  and  they  all  had  corns  on  the 
soles  of  their  feet,  and  I nearly  lost  my  reputation  because  I 
couldn’t  cure  them  all.” 

My  last  sight  of  him  was  on  graduation  day,  as  he  sat  on  the 
stage  of  the  Academy  of  Music  beside  Dr.  Raue,  to  whom  he 
wras  especially  devoted,  completely  wrapped  up  in  the  orchestra, 
which  was  rendering  an  air  from  the  opera  of  “Der  Freischutz.” 
He  was  nodding  and  bending  his  head  in  unison  with  the 
music,  apparently  oblivious  to  all  his  surroundings,  smiles  of 
pleasure  brightening  up  his  venerable  face  as  the  harmonious 
strains  fell  on  his  ear. 

So  was  he  completely  attuned  to  and  in  harmony  with  the  world 
and  profession  to  which  he  devoted  his  life  and  best  energies, 
and  he  fell  like  the  ripe  fruit  from  the  tree  and  was  gathered 
into  the  garner  of  the  faithful. 


Dr.  Philo  G.  Valentine  next  recited  the  following 
original  verses : 

In  a far-off  land — toward  the  rising  sun, 

In  a Saxon  village  there  was  begun 
The  story  of  a life,  I shall  unfold, 

As  the  lyric  muse  shall  render  me  bold. 

’Twas  NewYear's  day,  on  the  century’s  morn, 

That  this  child  of  genius,  so  rare,  was  born. 

Of  Christian  descent  and  imperial  mien, 

He  received  the  prenomen  of  Constantine. 

He  grew  and  thrived  like  that  great  emperor, 

Tho’  in  different  fields  was  he  conqueror. 

He  fought  battles,  ’tis  true,  but  no  blood  was  spilled, 

’Twas  with  love  of  learning  his  soul  was  filled. 

’Twas  hard  to  find  such  a searcher  for  truth , 

Such  a lover  of  lore,  as  this  promising  youth. 


250 


In  classic  schools,  he  made  reputation 
Beyond  his  fellows,  or  expectation. 

In  Leipzig  and  Dresden  he  did  pursue, 

His  surgical  studies,  and  medicine  too. 

At  length,  though  young,  he  a leader  became, 

And  carved  his  name  high  on  the  roll  of  fame. 

Now,  some  learned  doctors,  self-styled  orthodox, 
Desired  the  uprooting  of  heterodox, 

Which  doctors,  like  clergy,  are  prone  to  hate, 
Despise  and  abhor  and  abominate : 

A philosopher,  sage,  or  any  man 

Was  searched  for  to  conquer  one  Hahnemann, 

To  write  down  his  heresy,  the  worst  of  all, 

This  curing  the  sick  with  no  medicine  at  all. 

Young  Hering  knew  LTniversity  men, 

And  they  knew  he  yielded  a trenchant  pen ; 

They  tossed  him  the  glove,  he  accepted  the  banter, 
To  crush  out  similia  similibus  curantur. 

To  post  himself  for  th’  annihilation, 

He  sought  every  book,  every  compilation. 

Consulted  great  volumes,  high-shelved  and  low, 
This  new  medical  creed  to  overthrow. 

In  hot  pursuit  of  his  line  of  attack, 

Numerous  libraries  he  did  ransack, 

Never  omitting  to  make  quotation 
Of  every  phrase  at  all  in  relation 
To  the  subject  matter  taken  in  hand — 

To  drive  Homoeopathy  from  the  land. 

Such  was  the  feeling  in  Hahnemann’s  day, 

The  public  arose  in  hostile  array, 

And,  denouncing  him  as  a frenzied  fraud, 
Compelled  him  to  seek  a residence  abroad; 

In  a land  where  learning  and  science  advance, 

In  a land  of  sunshine,  liberty-loving  France. 

But  Hering  softened  in  the  presence  of  truth, 

And  with  the  ardor  of  genius  and  youth, 

Saw,  as  light  shone  in  from  the  other  side, 

It  was  with  error  he  had  been  allied. 


251 


Our  honest  hero  now,  convinced  of  his  wrong, 
Retraces  his  steps,  and  sings  a new  song ; 

The  creed  that  was  to  be  shown  a disgrace, 

He  clasps  to  his  bosom  in  fond  embrace; 

It  became  his  solace,  his  pleasure,  his  pride, 

And  he  its  champion  till  the  day  he  died. 

He  soon  thereafter  obtained  his  degree, 

In  an  old  German  university. 

His  researches  in  science  were  so  well  known, 

His  name  and  fame  reached  the  ears  of  the  throne, 
And  with  the  King’s  commission  in  his  hand 
He  sought  his  fortune  in  a foreign  land. 

’Twas  now  his  intention,  his  theme,  his  boast, 

To  study  nature  on  a tropical  coast, 

Beyond  the  sea  he  was  destined  to  roam, 

And  South  America  became  his  home. 

By  the  King  he  was  especially  sent, 

To  the  southern  half  of  this  continent, 

To  learn  in  the  woods  of  the  Torrid  Zone, 

The  flora  and  fauna  till  then  unknown. 

To  natural  history  he  gave  his  time, 

Of  all  researches,  none  more  sublime. 

He  gathered  specimens,  some  of  them  grand, 

And  shipped  them  homeward  to  the  Fatherland. 

For  seven  long  years  was  he  thus  occupied, 

Garnering  knowledge  from  every  side, 

Selecting  and  classing  whatever  found, 

Then , set  sail  in  a good  ship  homeward-hound. 

He  sailed  from  the  tropics  to  a northern  sea, 

In  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  thirty-three. 

His  voyage  came  to  an  unexpected  end, 

By  disembarking  in  the  land  of  Penn, 

A stranger  he  came,  altogether  unknown, 

And  Philadelphia  claimed  him  as  her  own. 

Inspired  with  great  thoughts  in  this  new  found  field, 
And  new  beauties  that  nature  here  revealed, 

In  the  realm  of  letters  gained  he  quick  position, 
Which  later  in  life  gave  him  full  fruition. 


252 


A return  to  Europe  was  in  contemplation, 

And  arrangements  were  made  for  embarkation, 

But,  an  affaire  du  cceur  brought  that  to  a close, 

And  our  country  henceforth  was  couleur  de  rose. 

Near  fifty  years  have  rolled  around  since  then, 

While  gifted  Hering  rose  exalted  among  men. 

In  Materia  Medica  without  a peer, 

lie  won  laurels  all  along  a brilliant  career; 

As  husband,  father,  professor  and  friend, 

I have  nothing  to  say,  except  to  commend. 

But,  there’s  an  ending  to  everything  here, 

And  he’s  gone  higher  to  a brighter  sphere. 

Twas  a midsummer  night  he  passed  away, 

And  climbed  the  heights  of  the  “golden  stairway.” 

His  evening  like  his  morning  in  beauty  gleams; 

His  death,  but  the  lying  down  to  pleasant  dreams, 

He’s  now  in  Elysium  forever  to  dwell, 

“After  life’s  fitful  fever  he  sleeps  well.” 

Dr.  G.  S.  Walker  then  delivered  the  following  oration  : 

Constantine  Hering  is  dead.  The  great  Healer  has  passed 
from  the  realm  of  wounds  and  diseases.  The  Antagonist  of 
Death,  and  his  Conqueror  on  a thousand  hard-fought  fields,  has 
yielded  at  last,  when  the  issue  of  the  struggle  was  but  his  own 
life.  Invincible  in  his  conflicts  for  others,  he  was  mortal  only 
when  he  struck  in  his  own  behalf.  And  death  has  gained  a 
splendid  prize.  If  the  old  chivalric  theory  be  true,  that  all  the 
honors  of  the  defeated  belong  of  right  to  the  victor,  Immortal 
Death  has  seldom,  in  all  the  ages,  from  the  issue  of  a single  fight, 
won  so  large  a spoil.  The  mighty  Physician,  whose  visits  to  the 
couch  of  suffering  were  as  the  Angel  of  Heaven’s  mercy,  and 
whose  prescription  was  Healing’s  potent  spell ; the  calm,  all- 
furnished  schoolman — the  Champion  of  the  Old  School — who 
laid  his  boyish  lance  in  rest  against  the  Black  Knight  of  Medi- 
cal Heresy,  and,  doomed  to  dismemberment  by  his  Client,  was 
saved  by  his  Adversary,  and  thence  consecrated  all  the  energies 


253 


of  his  redeemed  strength  to  the  new  banner  of  “Similia” — bear- 
ing it,  in  triumph,  through  both  Hemispheres  and  in  every  clime, 
under  the  southern  Cross  and  Northern  Pleiad,  and  planting  it, 
with  his  dying  hand,  on  the  very  citadel  of  the  Enemy;  the 
great  Teacher,  whose  graduation  thesis  wTas  “ l)e  Medicina 
Futura,”  and  who  founded  the  first  College  of  our  Order  in  the 
world ; whose  name  lies  at  the  foundation  of  our  Medical  Litera- 
ture, side  by  side  with  that  of  the  immortal  Hahnemann ; the 
Poet,  whose  creative  genius  found  and  grasped,  and  whose  sense 
of  harmony  set  in  eternal  order  and  beauty,  the  great  original 
truths  of  our  system ; the  Seer,  whose  prophetic  vision  pierced 
the  sullen  shadows  of  the  Infinite,  and  brought  within  the  appre- 
hension of  common  men  a revelation  of  the  Divine;  the  Laborer, 
whose  untiring  energies  knew  no  pause  or  recreation,  save  in 
added  and  deeper  toil ; the  Hercules,  who  cleansed  the  fouler 
than  Augean  Stables  of  Medical  Science,  and  encountered  and 
slew  the  Nemean  Lion  of  Medical  Orthodoxy  ; the  gentle,  gener- 
ous, brave,  great-hearted,  whole-souled  Man,  whose  qualities 
were  more  simply  great  than  his  attributes  were  sublimely  splen- 
did : all  these  have  gone  down  in  that  last  desperate  struggle,  in 
closed  lists,  where  his  only  second  was  a woman,  whose  loving 
hand  and  tender  strength  were  all  unable  to  hold  back  from  his 
heart  the  icy  grasp  of  Death.  Constantine  Hering  is  dead,  and 
all  the  orphaned  Children  of  Affliction  weep,  and  all  the  gener- 
ous and  noble  of  earth  have  sympathy  in  their  sorrow  and  are 
partakers  of  their  grief. 

In  the  effulgence  of  his  larger  and  brighter  fame,  we  are 
sometimes  inclined  to  forget  that  Hering  was  pre-eminently  the 
Physician.  Let  us  tenderly  and  gratefully,  in  sympathy  with 
the  wide  circle  of  his  bereaved  patients,  remember  this  fact  to- 
night. Nature  and  education  combined  to  render  him  the  great 
Healer.  His  temper  was  generous,  ardent,  tender,  affectionate 
and  high.  The  pathematic  was  among  the  strongest  forces  of 
his  grand  nature ; and  it  was  always  a wisely  regulated  and  per- 
fectly governed  force.  High  over  all  that  wealth  of  sympathy, 


254 


delicate,  and  susceptible  as  ideal  woman’s,  sat  the  intelligent  and 
regal  Will,  rendering  it  subservient  to  the  great  end  of  his  pres- 
ence in  the  sick-room.  And  what  a presence  there ! His  stately 
form — his  curling  locks  and  flowing  beard — the  pure  white  light 
of  cultured  intellect  shining  on  his  lofty  forehead,  and  flashing 
in  his  earnest  eye,  but  mellowed  and  softened  by  the  roseate  hue 
of  deep  and  hearty  kindness — his  mere  appearance  was  the  Har- 
binger of  Hope  to  the  Couch  of  Despair.  And  then  his  manner ! 
Quiet,  not  soft;  gentle,  not  weak;  firm,  not  hard;  confident,  not 
rash ; serious,  not  solemn ; the  gravity  of  simple  earnestness,  com- 
bined with  the  assurance  of  abundant  resources  and  an  armed 
disciplined  Intelligence : it  was  the  finished  perfection  of  the 
bearing  of  the  Typical  Physician,  and  had,  in  itself,  some  healing 
power. 

His  Method  of  Diagnosis  was  the  analysis  of  exclusion.  He 
ascertained  with  the  utmost  care,  and  minuted  with  the  greatest 
exactness,  every  characteristic  symptom.  This  group  of  hostile 
appearances  he  attacked  with  all  the  energies  of  his  powerful 
mind.  One  after  another,  he  cast  out  and  trampled  under  foot 
every  false  and  specious  probability,  until  he  stood,  at  the  last, 
face  to  face  with  his  great  enemy — the  actual,  the  imminent  and 
the  dangerous  Dynamic  Force;  and  against  this,  when  found, 
his  Arsenal  of  Provings  rendered  him  almost  invincible.  He 
was  never  hasty  or  empirical  in  practice.  He  cared  nothing  for 
the  man — whether  rich  or  poor,  or  high  or  low — but  everything 
for  the  patient.  It  was  a hand-to-hand  fight  with  Disease ; in 
which,  once  engaged,  he  thought  only  of  his  Antagonist,  and 
would  neither  surrender  nor  be  beaten.  Of  course,  his  success 
was  great,  if  not  unexampled.  By  his  own  personal  and  indi- 
vidual prescriptions,  he  snatched  from  the  hand  of  Disease  and 
Death  unnumbered  and  innumerable  thousands  ; and  indirectly, 
by  the  influence  of  his  discoveries,  suggestions  and  teachings,  he 
was  undoubtedly  the  most  valuable  factor  of  his  age  in  the  grand 
multiple  of  Health  and  Life.  His  patients  venerated,  trusted, 
loved,  idolized,  and  almost  worshiped  him.  No  other  man  or 


255 


men  could  supply  his  place  to  them.  He  was  their  favorite  and 
all-powerful  Apostle  of  the  Gospel  of  Health ; and  when  they 
could  not  secure  his  visits,  they  would  fain,  like  them  of  old  to 
Peter,  have  brought  forth  their  sick  into  the  streets,  that  at  least 
his  shadow,  in  passing,  might  fall  upon  and  bless  them.  And  this 
great  Physician  is  dead  ! 

Hering  was  the  unrivaled  champion  and  advocate  of  the  Eter- 
nal Law  of  Similia  Similibus  Curantur.  Sincere,  intelligent, 
high-cultured,  profound,  original,  bold  and  eloquent,  he  lifted  its 
banner  from  the  dust  of  popular  contempt,  and  challenged,  for 
its  insignia,  the  admiration  and  gratitude  of  the  nations.  All  his 
interests,  all  his  prejudices,  the  bent  of  his  education,  the  pride 
of  championship,  the  heat  of  conflict,  the  hopes  of  his  friends  and 
admirers — all  forbade  him  to  embrace  the  new  and  despised 
Heresy.  Yet  embrace  it  he  would  and  did,  with  all  the  fervor 
of  his  hero-heart,  simply  because  upon  investigation,  not  impar- 
tial but  prejudiced,  he  found  it  true.  The  wave  of  conviction 
which  rolled  into  his  mind,  from  the  vast-  Ocean  of  Truth,  washed 
every  stain  of  prejudice  from  its  shores,  and4  left  them  shining 
with  the  calm  light  of  certainty. 

A_nd  his  was  no  emotional  conversion,  born  of  a moment’s 
frenzy  and  destined  to  perish  with  the  passing  furor.  It  was  not 
because  the  New  School  saved  that  right  arm  which  the  Old  had 
doomed  to  excision,  that  he  devoted  its  energies,  with  such  con- 
sistent and  efficient  fidelity,  to  the  redemption  of  a pledge  wrung 
from  him  in  an  hour  of  insupportable  anguish.  It  was  because, 
with  all  the  exhaustive  thoroughness  of  his  grand  and  luminous 
intelligence,  he  had  previously  investigated,  tested  and  proved, 
until  his  whole  nature  was  rife  with  conviction,  that  the  healing 
touch  of  Homoeopathy  had  power  to  kindle  the  long-prepared 
train  and  dedicate  him,  in  an  explosion  of  feeling,  to  the  per- 
petual championship  of  its  incomparable  merits.  Thenceforth, 
all  his  previous  attainments  became  but  the  stepping-stones  by 
which  he  ascended  to  the  serene  heights  of  Culture,  and  stood  on 
their  loftiest  professional  pinnacle,  alone. 


256 


Hahnemann  became  his  friend,  intimate,  and  teacher;  and 
from  this  Sage  the  hungry  Neophyte  drew  all  the  accumulated 
treasures  of  his  lore.  Thence,  girt  with  the  commission  of 
Royalty,  under  the  stellar  light  of  the  Magellan  Clouds,  he 
sought  the  secrets  of  nature  in  her  most  affluent  home,  and,  fast 
as  they  accumulated,  turned  these  treasures  to  the  light  of  public 
advocacy  of  the  cause  he  had  so  earnestly  espoused.  Far-seeing, 
patient  and  profound,  as  broadly  and  highly  cultured,  he  rested 
not  on  any  yielding  soil,  but  digged,  and  digged,  until  he  reached 
the  rock  of  ultimate  truth  ; so  that  he  may  be  said  to  have  stood, 
with  his  head  among  the  stars,  catching  the  earliest  and  latest 
gleam  of  heaven’s  light,  and  with  his  feet  planted  upon  the  im- 
movable foundations  which  support  the  world.  With  this  gigan- 
tic reach  and  grasp  of  truth,  he  could  not  but  be  original.  With 
the  constituents  of  sincerity,  earnestness,  and  self-sacrifice,  he 
could  not  but  be  bold.  With  the  freshness  and  enthusiasm  of 
the.  youth,  joined  to  the  knowledge  and  culture  of  the  philoso- 
pher and  the  sage,  he  could  not  but  be  eloquent.  All  these  he 
was.  And  this  invincible  Champion  is  dead  ! 

Hering  was  par  eminence  the  inspired  Teacher.  “Poeta  nas- 
citur  non  fit,”  had  never  truer  application  than  to  him.  He  was 
born  for  the  vocation.  And  this  high  and  incomparable  gift  of 
original  genius  he  supplemented  by  the  most  careful  training. 
Always  he  taught  con  amove.  At  home,  on  the  street,  in  the 
sick-room,  in  his  study,  in  the  clinique,  from  the  chair  of  the  lec- 
turer or  the  rostrum  of  the  orator — wherever  auditors  could  be 
found — he  was  their  wise,  patient,  and  delighted  instructor. 
This  was  the  purpose  of  all  his  learning.  He  gained  but  to  im- 
part. His  whole  capital  of  mental  wealth  was  free  to  all  comers. 
Of  his  illimitable  gains  he  hoarded  nothing.  The  fountain  of 
his  instruction  was  perennial,  and  had  its  source  in  the  everlast- 
ing springs  of  Genius,  Labor  and  Love.  And,  though  he  sought 
not  this  end,  the  paradox  of  Scripture  was  fulfilled  to  him  : all 
his  gifts  were  gains.  By  the  operation  of  a changeless  law, 
what  he  gave  to  others  was  doubled  to  his  own  bosom.  This  was* 


257 


the  secret  of  his  unfailing  readiness  and  fulness.  Knowledge, 
he  deemed  a universal  heritage,  to  which  every  willing  and 
capable  mind  had  an  indefeasible  right ; and  wherever  he  found 
such  minds,  it  was  more  blessed  for  him  to  give  than  for  them  to 
receive.  Yet  these  gifts,  widely  and  lavishly  as  he  flung  them 
forth,  were  but  the  small  change  of  his  thought ; and  his  mind 
was  rich  in  massive  ore,  in  ingots  and  gems.  And  with  all  this 
priceless  wealth  he  dowered  Humanity  by  his  pen. 

He  was  the  father  and  maker  of  our  Medical  Literature ; for 
what  he  did  not  produce,  he  inspired.  His  own  thought-products, 
completed,  begun  and  designed,  are  so  many  and  so  intrinsically 
great,  that  admiration  loses  its  flippant  eloquence,  and  sinks  into 
wonder  and  awe  before  the  processes  of  so  vast  a mind.  No  such 
writer  on  Popular  Medicine  has  ever  lived.  No  such  writer  on 
Scientific  Medicine  has  ever  lived.  His  “ Domestic  Physician  ” 
still  teaches  the  multitudes,  in  many  languages  and  editions,  the 
secret  of  health  at  home ; and  his  “Analytical  Therapeutics  ” 
and  “ Guiding  Symptoms  ” are  of  a quality  which  might  satisfy 
the  aspirations  after  fame  of  many  first-class  minds,  and  will  re- 
quire the  labors  of  many  such  to  comjflete  them,  with  the  mate- 
rials already  gathered  and  prepared  by  their  great  Author.  All 
these  precious  instructions  to  the  world  are  couched  in  terms  the 
most  simple  and  direct,  and  distinguished  by  an  entire  absence  of 
style.  He  wrote  but  to  expound  his  thought ; and  his  words  are 
that  thought’s  simplest  and  strongest  vehicle.  Of  him  it  may  be 
said,  with  truth  and  emphasis,  that,  not  only  to  our  own  school, 
but  to  the  whole  world  of  Medical  Thought  and  Culture,  “He 
was  a Teacher  sent  from  God.”  And  this  matchless  Teacher  is 
dead! 

Hering  was  an  unexampled  Laborer.  In  boyhood,  his  sport 
was  toil.  In  maturity,  his  recreation  was  creation.  In  age,  his 
repose  was  application.  He  took  no  rest,  and  needed  none. 
Work  was  his  pleasure  and  his  passion.  Each  day  of  his  life 
was  too  brief  for  the  busy  ends  he  assigned  it;  each  hour  of 
every  day,  though  beginning  with  the  third  after  midnight  and 

17 


258 


ending  only  with  the  tenth  after  midday,  too  short  for  his  toilful 
purpose.  To  the  very  last  day,  and  almost  the  last  hour  of  his 
life,  his  unresting  exertions  never  ceased.  And  yet,  his  energies 
never  flagged.  He  did  not  toil  on  doggedly  and  dully,  the  re- 
luctant slave  of  a cruel  purpose;  but  with  such  warm,  earnest, 
and  cheerful  interest  as  made  him  dread  the  hour  of  necessary 
suspension  of  his  task.  The  sustained  fire  of  his  energy  was  simply 
marvelous.  There  is  nothing  in  the  correlation  and  conservation 
of  material  forces  which  can  at  all  account  for  it.  It  did  not  lie 
in  the  food  he  ate,  or  the  sleep  he  took.  Kather,  it  would  seem 
to  have  been  the  result  of  such  an  uncommon  affluence,  in  the 
original  endowment  of  his  vital  forces,  as  the  world  has  seldom 
if  ever  seen.  Instead  of  losing,  as  is  the  case  with  other  men, 
this  rare  mind  seemed  rather  to  accumulate  fire  and  force  by  its 
own  progress.  And  it  was  no  unregulated  and  disorderly  energy, 
which  thus  found  its  necessary  expression  in  ceaseless  action. 
Every  mental  impulse  had  a method — every  intellectual  ebullition 
poured  its  forces  into  a prescribed  channel — every  molten  thought 
settled  into  its  previously  prepared  mould,  and  hardened  into  the 
shape  which  it  was  predestined  to  take  and  wear  forever.  It 
was  labor  with  such  method  as  economized  and  utilized  every 
particle  of  mental  energy ; as  if  the  worker  had  been  the  poorest 
of  the  poor,  instead  of  the  wealthiest  of  earth,  in  intellectual  en- 
dowments. And  the  method  was  no  clumsy,  fanciful  or  gro- 
tesque contrivance  of  idle  revery,  perverted  taste,  or  passionate 
prejudice,  but  the  highest  and  most  finished  product  of  original 
genius,  guided  by  intelligent  and  cultivated  skill.  It  was  such 
a method  as  one  may  see  a sample  of  in  the  “Analytical  Thera- 
peutics;” a method  to  fill  the  mind  with  wonder  and  joy,  and  to 
fall  upon  the  world  of  Medical  Thought  and  Culture  like  the 
benediction  of  the  Most  High. 

And  all  this  measureless  strength,  indicated  by  such  unrivaled 
labors,  was  dedicated  to  the  grandest  objects,  and  justified  by  the 
highest  results.  Its  products,  crystallized  in  print,  admirable  and 
wonderful  as  they  are,  are  but  a small  part  of  these  results.  The 


259 


walls  of  Hering’s  study,  from  floor  to  ceiling,  are  filled  with 
manuscripts,  in  his  own  handwriting,  all  perfectly  arranged  and 
methodized,  to  carry  on  and  complete  the  incomparable  works 
which  he  began  and  designed.  Thus  the  matchless  Worker, 
standing  in  his  study,  built  up  around  him  that  pearly  palace  of 
his  thought,  which  shall  never  know  decay.  Alas!  our  Ulysses 
has  departed  on  his  travels,  and  there  is  none  left  at  Ithaca 
strong  enough  to  bend  his  bow!  Atlas  has  gone  to  the  Hesperides, 
and  there  is  none  to  bear  up  the  skies.  And  this  incomparable 
Laborer  is  dead ! 

Above  all,  Constantine  Hering  was  a Man.  All  the  constitu- 
ents of  manly  character  were  his.  Strength,  courage,  force,  and 
constancy  distinguished  him  above  other  men.  In  ability  to 
grasp,  and  firmness  to  hold,  all  that  he  recognized  as  truth,  he 
had  no  peer.  In  adventurous  daring,  supported  and  justified  by 
the  tremendous  momentum  of  his  mind,  he  was  simply  sublime. 
His  principles  were  pure,  unselfish,  and  high,  and  his  loyalty  to 
conviction  unwavering.  A better  or  truer  man  never  lived.  And 
this  strong  base  of  noblest  manhood  was  overlaid  with  the  fine 
gold  of  all  gentle  and  attractive  qualities.  He  was  susceptible, 
appreciative,  affectionate,  constant,  tender,  and  forbearing.  His 
heart  was  open  as  his  hand,  and  the  clasp  of  the  one  was  warm 
with  the  pulse  of  the  other.  His  tastes  were  cultivated  and  re- 
fined to  that  degree,  that  his  house  was  the  home  of  Art  and 
Culture,  and  the  refuge  of  struggling  Genius.  His  friends  were 
statesmen,  artists,  scientists,  of  world-wide  reputation  and  renown ; 
and  of  these,  once  gained,  he  never  lost  one.  All  who  loved  him, 
loved  him  to  the  end,  either  of  their  own  lives  or  his.  He  was 
gentle  as  a child,  pure  as  a snowflake,  and  warm  as  a sunbeam. 
In  a word,  the  “ grand  old  name  of  Gentleman”  was  his  by  right 
of  eminence  in  the  essential  qualities  which  constitute  that  char- 
acter. In  the  words  of  one  of  our  sweetest  modern  poets, 

“To  him  were  all  men  heroes,  every  race  noble, 

All  women  virgins,  and  each  place  a temple: 

He  knew  nothing  that  was  base.” 

And  this  peerless  Gentleman  is  dead! 


260 


Dead ! Aye,  even  as  the  mollusk,  the  builder  of  the  sea-shell 
dies,  leaving  his  soul  crystallized  in  forms  of  imperishable  beauty, 
which  still  ring  with  the  sound  of  life’s  eternal  sea.  Hering  is 
not  dead.  He  doth  not  even  sleep.  His  waking  spirit  walks 
abroad,  through  all  the  realms  of  thought.  For  such  as  he  there 
is  no  death.  He  lives,  and  must  ever  live,  in  Memory,  in  Bless- 
ing, and  in  Hope.  In  the  hearts  of  many,  rich  and  poor,  high 
and  low,  his  deeds  have  built  a shrine  whereon  Gratitude  will 
lay . her  morning  and  her  evening  sacrifices,  until  the  hearts 
which  cherished  him  as  a Physician  have  ceased  to  beat;  and 
even  in  dying,  they  will  bequeath  his  memory  as  a rich  legacy  to 
their  children.  The  disciples  and  lovers  of  the  cause  he  espoused 
and  defended  will  never  cease  to  hear  the  all-eloquent  Champion 
of  Homoeopathy.  The  Student  of  Medicine,  in  the  remotest 
future,  will  bless  and  revere  the  name  of  Hering,  as  the  great 
Bringer  of  Order  out  of  the  chaos  of  the  Materia  Medica.  The 
immediate  and  remote  beneficiaries  of  his  life-work  will  join 
hearts  and  hands,  in  gratitude  for  his  benefactions  and  emulation 
of  his  industry.  And,  ennobled  by  his  name  and  fame,  ever  and 
forever,  “his  children,  and  his  children’s  children,  will  rise  up 
and  call  him  blessed.” 

After  the  eulogy  the  following  ode  was  sung : 

How  sleep  the  brave  who  sink  to  rest, 

By  all  their  Country’s  wishes  blessed  ! 

When  Spring,  with  dewy  fingers  cold, 

Returns  to  deck  their  hallowed  mold, 

She  there  shall  dress  a sweeter  sod 
Than  fancy’s  feet  have  ever  trod. 

By  fairy  hands  their  knell  is  rung ; 

By  forms  unseen  their  dirge  is  sung, 

There  Honor  comes,  a pilgrim  gray, 

To  bless  the  turf  that  wraps  their  clay, 

And  Freedom  shall  awhile  repair, 

To  dwell  a weeping  hermit  there ! 

A benediction  was  asked  by  the  Rev.  John  Snyder, 
and  the  meeting  adjourned. 


261 


MEETING  IN  KANSAS  CITY,  MISSOURI. 

At  a meeting  of  homoeopathic  physicians  held  at  Kan- 
sas City,  State  of  Missouri,  October  10th,  1880,  to  take 
action  on  the  death  of  Dr.  Constantine  Hering,  the  sub- 
joined preamble  and  resolutions  were  presented  and 
approved : 

Whereas,  We  have  learned  with  sincere  sorrow  of  the  decease 
of  our  venerable  colleague,  Dr.  Constantine  Hering,  whose 
splendid  attainments  in  science,  varied  experience  in  practice, 
and  long  service  to  humanity,  we  now  recall  with  transport  and 
shall  remember  with  gratitude ; therefore,  be  it 

Resolved , That  in  the  late  Dr.  Hering  we  recognized  our  ideal 
of  a man,  a scholar,  and  a physician.  His  early  struggles  for  the 
establishment  of  homoeopathic  medicine,  and  his  later  triumphs 
in  the  security  of  the  same,  are  masterly  and  imperishable 
achievements. 

Resolved , That  in  the  death  of  Dr.  Hering  the  cause  of  Homoe- 
opathy has  lost  its  ablest  worker,  the  family  of  homoeopathic 
physicians  its  dearest  member,  and  homoeopathic  literature  its 
most  honored  name.  As  we  revere  his  memory  let  us  emulate 
his  character,  and  the  great  and  good  of  our  school  whom  he  has 
joined  in  the  world  of  spirits,  who  “rest  from  their  labors  though 
their  works  do  follow  them.” 


UNIVERSITY  OF  MICHIGAN  MEETING. 

At  a meeting  of  the  faculty  and  students  of  the  Homoe- 
opathic Department  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  Ann 
Arbor,  held  on  Sunday  evening,  October  10th,  1880,  W.  P. 
Polhemus,  the  president  of  the  class,  called  the  meeting 
to  order  and  briefly  stated  the  object  of  the  gathering. 


262 


He  then  introduced  Prof.  E.  C.  Franklin,  who  spoke  as 
follows : 

Mr.  President,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen : 

At  a meeting  of  the  homoeopathic  physicians  of  the  city  of 
Philadelphia,  called  together  on  the  25th  day  of  July  last,  for 
the  purpose  of  expressing  their  views  and  sentiments  touching 
the  history,  position  and  connection  of  the  late  Hr.  Constantine 
Hering  with  the  cause  of  Homoeopathy,  it  was  resolved  “ that  a 
memorial  meeting  be  held  in  honor  of  the  deceased,  at  which 
physicians  from  all  parts  of  the  wTorld  should  be  invited  to  par- 
ticipate in  person  or  by  letter.”  In  compliance  with  this  resolu- 
tion, we,  the  Faculty  and  Students  of  the  Homoeopathic  Depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Michigan,  with  such  friends  of  our 
system  that  feel  an  interest  in  the  present  occasion,  have  assembled 
together  as  earnest  memorialists,  to  express  our  profound  regret 
at  the  loss  of  this  truly  great  man,  our  condolence  with  his  family, 
and  to  convey  to  distant  friends  our  appreciation  of  the  distin- 
guished services  Dr.  Hering  has  given  to  the  cause  of  Homoe- 
opathy during  the  last  half  century. 

The  early  history  of  Dr.  Hering  finds  him  a bitter  opponent 
of  Homoeopathy.  Born  with  the  beginning  of  the  century  in 
Oschatz,  Saxony,  we  find  little  in  early  life  to  interest  us,  until 
the  period  when  he  began  his  student  life  under  the  immediate 
charge  of  his  father.  Here  we  observe  him  as  a diligent  and 
faithful  pupil,  developing  those  sterling  qualities  of  head  and 
heart  that  made  him  so  attractive  to  his  teachers  while  pursuing 
his  studies  in  the  gymnasium  at  Zittau,  then  under  the  rectorship 
of  his  father.  His  remarkable  powers  of  observation  and  analy- 
sis, his  centering  application,  marked  him  out  as  no  ordinary 
individual.  In  his  twentieth  year  he  matriculated  as  a student 
of  medicine  at  the  University  of  Leipzig,  and  during  his  pupilage 
here  was  singled  out  by  his  preceptor,  on  account  of  his  superior 


263 


literary  attainments,  to  prepare  a monograph  in  opposition  to 
that  medical  heresy  that  was  at  this  time  agitating  and  unhing- 
ing the  medical  mind  in  Germany  and  other  parts  of  the  Conti- 
nent. Elated  with  the  prospect  of  a scientific  tilt  with  the  sage 
of  Coethen,  he  began  a review  of  Hahnemann’s  writings,  hoping 
to  obtain  an  easy  victory  in  his  medical  contest ; but  his  read- 
ings only  impressed  him  the  stronger  with  the  doctrine  of 
Hahnemann,  and  scientist  as  he  was,  he  became  so  thoroughly 
convicted  with  the  depth  of  reason  and  glow  of  genius  of  the 
great  medical  reformer,  that  his  criticisms  were  turned  into 
laudation  of  the  teachings  of  the  author,  and  he  became  a con- 
vert to  their  strongly  impressed  truths.  About  this  time,  and 
while  pursuing  his  anatomical  demonstrations,  he  inflicted  upon 
his  hand  a poison  wound  from  the  keen  edge  of  the  dissector’s 
knife,  which  subsequently  gave  him  no  little  solicitude  and 
anxiety.  He  sought  medical  counsel  of  his  old  friends,  and  in 
spite  of  their  best  directed  efforts  he  grew  daily  worse,  and  the 
gloomy  alternative  was  given  him  of  amputation  of  the  hand. 
Chagrined  and  discomfitted,  he  accepted  the  proffered  aid  of 
a friend,  a disciple  of  Hahnemann,  and  had  the  proud  satisfac- 
tion of  seeing  his  hand  daily  grow  better,  and  finally  saved  from 
the  dreaded  prognosis  pronounced  by  his  attending  physicians. 
With  this  his  conversion  to  Homoeopathy  was  secured,  and  he 
left  Leipzig  strong  in  the  faith  of  Similia  and  entered  the 
University  at  Wurzburg.  After  attending  lectures  here,  he 
graduated  in  1826,  and  returned  to  Saxony  to  practice  his  pro- 
fession on  his  native  soil.  He  accepted  the  position  as  teacher  of 
natural  sciences  and  house  physician  in  a prominent  school  under 
the  charge  of  Director  Blochmann.  Wearied  with  continued 
application  along  the  old  groove  of  medical  thought,  disgusted 
with  the  endless  jargon  of  medical  theories  and  changing  dog- 
mas, and  soured  with  the  intolerant  bigotry  of  that  old  school, 
that  is  “broken  down  in  council  and  in  fight,  in  hospital  and  in 
camp,  yet  brokenly  lives  on,”  his  active  and  restless  spirit,  im- 
prisoned no  longer  by  the  bonds  of  state  medicine,  sought  new 


264 


and  unpent  fields  for  its  scientific  longings.  He  saw  in  the  pro- 
fession of  medicine  a system  of  castes  of  corporations,  not  of 
individual,  but  of  collective  castes.  He  saw  that  a man  may 
be  anything  he  can,  but  no  man  can  be  anything  out  of  the 
caste.  He  longed  to  be  free,  and  like  the  imprisoned  bird  sought 
freedom  in  the  boundless  continent  of  beautiful  fruits  and 
flowers.  An  opportunity  was  soon  presented,  and  he  eagerly 
accepted  the  position  that  was  the  fulfillment  of  his  day-dream 
of  usefulness,  and  which  gave  us  the  bright  realization  of  his 
long-cherished  hopes  and  made  him  a hero  in  the  new  world  of 
progressive  knowledge.  A distant  relative  had  just  returned 
from  South  America,  whose  vivid  descriptions  of  the  beauty  and 
splendor  of  the  natural  curiosities  of  that  far-off  tropical  region, 
where  “ nature  wears  her  sweetest  smile  and  sings  her  loveliest 
notes,”  inspired  his  young  heart  to  woo  fickle  fortune  in  the 
distant  lands  of  the  Occident.  By  the  aid  of  influential  friends 
he  procured  an  appointment  from  the  King  of  Saxony  to  ac- 
company the  accomplished  naturalist  Weigel,  and  in  1827, 
with  rosy  hopes  and  elated  spirit,  he  set  sail  for  his  far-off 
western  home,  and  arrived  in  Dutch  Guiana  soon  after. 
Hopeful'  and  buoyant,  and  with  a soul  full  of  ardor  for  his 
cherished  work,  he  entered  upon  his  new  field  of  labor  and 
made  many  friends  and  converts  to  the  faith  that  animated  all 
his  labors.  Still  keeping  up  his  medical  studies,  pari  passu  with 
his  zoological  enquiries,  he  attracted  considerable  attention  both 
to  himself  and  the  system  of  medicine  by  which  he  was  continu- 
ally bequeathing  rich  legacies  to  suffering  humanity.  While 
upon  the  very  tiptoe  of  encouragement  and  merited  commenda- 
tion from  those  who  were  the  almost  daily  recipients  of  his  kindly 
care  and  thoughtful  consideration,  and  while  pursuing  with  dili- 
gence and  earnestness  his  chosen  field  of  study,  a message  was 
handed  him  from  the  Fatherland  reprimanding  him  for  daring 
to  extend  and  popularize  the  hated  science  of  Homoeopathy,  afar 
off  though  it  be,  in  the  lands  beyond  the  sea.  His  noble  spirit, 
no  longer  fettered  by  the  chains  of  that  medical  despotism  that 


265 


had  bound  him  to  the  care  of  a hated  propagandism  during  the 
earlier  period  of  his  student  life,  was  stung  to  the  quick,  and 
chagrined  at  the  unlooked-for  result  of  his  chosen  mission,  he  re- 
signed his  office  and  devoted  himself  to  the  practice  of  medicine 
in  the  city  of  Paramaribo.  Soon  after  this  he  accepted  an  invita- 
tion to  come  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  arrived  in  January,  1833. 
From  here 

“Out  of  his  self-drawing  web  he  gives  us  note, 

The  force  of  his  own  merit  makes  his  way ; 

A gift  that  Heaven  gives  for  him,” 

we  see  him  always  intent  upon  his  grand  mission  and  entering 
upon  his  new  work  with  renewed  purpose.  His  enthusiasm  for 
the  theme  of  his  chosen  life-work  overcame  every  opposition,  and 
wTe  see  him  ere  the  mantle  of  citizenship  draped  his  manly  form, 
lecturing  in  his  native  tongue  to  the  few  but  earnest  disciples  of 
the  new  system  gathered  together  to  do  homage  to  their  distin- 
guished countryman.  From  that  time  to  the  day  of  his  death, 
animated  by  the  noble  purpose  of  improving  as  far  as  he  could 
his  cherished  science,  he  labored  constantly  and  enthusiastically 
for  its  advancement.  He  was  the  first  physician  who  taught 
Homoeopathy  publicly,  at  Allentown,  Pa.,  and  in  1835,  in  con- 
junction with  Dr.  Wesselhoeft  and  others,  he  organized  “ The 
North  American  Academy  of  the  Homoeopathic  Healing  Art,” 
which  flourished  for  a season  and  accomplished  a great  amount 
of  good  to  those  interested  in  its  work.  This  institution  tem- 
porarily succumbed  to  the  pressure  of  pecuniary  embarrass- 
ment, but  soon  after  was  revived  on  a larger  and  more  ex- 
tended scale  as  “ The  Homoeopathic  Medical  College  of  Penn- 
sylvania.” It  was  the  master  spirit  of  Dr.  Hering,  the  liberal, 
energetic  and  enthusiastic  admirer  of  a broad  and  liberal  educa- 
tion in  the  arts  and  sciences,  that  gave  birth  to  our  own  American 
Institute,  the  first  national  medical  organization  in  the  United 
States.  His  contributions  to  the  homoeopathic  literature  coeval 
with  “ The  Archives ,”  even  at  that  early  day,  secured  for  him  an 


266 


honorable  position  in  the  world  of  letters  and  established  him  as 
a worthy  standard-bearer  of  our  exclusive  law  of  cure.  I will 
not  speak  of  his  many  and  interesting  contributions  to  our  Ma- 
teria Medica  in  which  he  was,  of  all  others  in  this  country,  its 
most  diligent  and  faithful  contributor.  I will  leave  that  with 
one  more  competent  to  do  the  subject  justice.  He  was  truly  the 
pioneer  of  our  school  of  medicine  in  the  United  States,  and  by 
his  labors  on  our  Materia  Medica  he  has  added  more  wealth 
to  our  school  of  practice  than  any  other  man  living  since  the 
days  of  the  immortal  founder  of  our  school.  “The  great  joy  of 
his  late  days,”  says  a distinguished  scholar  and  contemporary, 
“ was  the  reading  of  the  address  delivered  by  the  President  of 
the  American  Institute  of  Homoeopathy  in  which  the  methods 
of  Hahnemann  and  the  immutable  principles  governing  our 
school  were  so  earnestly  laid  before  our  National  Institute,  as 
were  also  the  proceedings  of  its  members.”  A close  student,  an 
able  teacher  and  an  indefatigable  worker  for  more  than  half  a 
century,  he  furnished  valuable  and  often  brilliant  articles  to  the 
periodical  literature  of  America  and  Germany.  In  his  social 
life  he  posessed  a fund  of  anecdote  and  humor  that  made  him  a 
genial  companion  and  an  agreeable  friend.  He  enjoyed  in  turn 
a good  joke,  and  laughed  heartily  at  its  recital.  Of  late  years 
his  bodily  vigor  gradually  failed,  in  consequence  of  his  mature 
years  and  frequent  asthmatic  attacks  which  prostrated  him 
severely.  I remember  him  well  at  the  Centennial  meeting,  during 
my  visit  to  Philadelphia  at  that  time.  I was  invited  to  his 
house  and  became  one  of  his  few  guests  at  a supper  given  in 
honor  of  that  memorable  occasion.  He  died  as  he  lived,  a firm 
friend,  a devoted  student  and  an  uncompromising  disciple  of  the 
truths  taught  by  the  immortal  Hahnemann.  He  was  borne  to 
his  last  resting  place  at  Laurel  Hill  by  friends  and  colleagues 
who  had  shared  his  toil,  and  who  gave  him  “ Tears  for  his  love, 
joy  for  his  fortune,  and  honor  for  his  valor.” 

At  the  conclusion  of  Prof.  Franklin’s  remarks,  the 


267 


chairman  introduced  Prof.  T.  P.  Wilson,  who  spoke  as 
follows : 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen : 

The  glory  of  the  Roman  Empire  and  the  name  of  Julius 
Caesar  are  inseparably  connected.  The  grandeur  of  the  Ameri- 
can Republic  and  the  name  of  George  Washington  are  almost 
one  and  the  same  thing.  And  so  I turn  to  the  name  of  Dr. 
Constantine  Hering,  but  I need  not  ask  to  what  system  of  phi- 
losophy, to  what  department  of  knowledge  or  to  what  great 
enterprise  that  name  is  indissolubly  joined.  Constantine  Hering 
and  American  Homoeopathy  have  grown  together,  the  one  from 
infancy  to  old  age,  crowned  at  last  by  the  laurels  of  death,  and 
the  other,  from  infancy  toward  a matured  youth  ; and  so  closely 
have  they  been  joined  that  nothing  but  the  searching  hand  of 
death  could  put  them  asunder.  Yet,  in  a certain  sense,  Hering 
is  not  dead.  In  the  highest  sense  in  which  he  lived,  he  still  lives ; 
and  will  continue  to  live ; and  his  acts  will  be  repeated, 

“ In  states  unborn  and  accents  jet  unknown .” 

When  Hering  was  born,  medical  science  and  art  were  “ with- 
out form  and  void,  and  darkness  was  upon  the  face  of  the  deep.” 
As  night  upon  the  seas  enfolds  the  boundless  waters  in  her  jetty 
wings,  so  in  those  days,  chaos  covered  and  clouded  all.  Scarce 
one  department  of  our  present  system  of  medicine  had  more  than 
“ a local  habitation  and  a name.”  Anatomy  had  achieved  some 
progress,  and  the  human  body  had  itself  undergone  some  rude 
and  imperfect  explorations — no  more ; but  physiology  was  as  a 
dream  to  the  human  mind,  and  its  beauties  had  not  reached  the 
point  of  conception,  much  less  had  they  been  born.  Pathology 
was  an  inextricable  mass  of  facts  and  fancies,  and  upon  these 
sat  superstition  enthroned,  threatening  divine  vengeance  to  all 
who  had  the  temerity  to  question  their  real  character.  Surgery, 
with  its  rude  implements,  was  staining  the  earth  with  human 
gore ; and  while  ignorantly  striving  to  relieve,  it  added  indefi- 


268 


nitely  to  the  sum  total  of  human  misery.  As  for  the  general 
practice  of  medicine,  it  was  “ confusion  worse  confounded.  ” 
Empiricism  reigned  supreme,  and  being  without  law,  it  was 
without  order ; and  being  without  law  or  order,  it  was  without 
success.  It  was  then  that  the  great  Frenchman  Bichat,  said 
of  medical  practice,  it  “ is  an  incoherent  assemblage  of  incoherent 
ideas,  and  is  perhaps  of  all  the  sciences,  that  which  best  shows 
the  caprice  of  the  human  mind.  It  is  a shapeless  assemblage 
of  inaccurate  ideas,  of  observations  often  puerile,  of  deceptive 
remedies,  and  of  formulae  as  fantastically  conceived  as  they  are 
tediously  arranged.” 

It  was  into  this  age  that  Constantine  Hering  was  born.  And 
when  he  had  come  to  mature  life,  it  must  have  been  a strange 
infatuation  that  led  him  to  select  medicine  for  his  life’s  work. 
Perhaps  it  was  in  the  vain  hope  that  he  might  amend  its  broken 
ways.  Perhaps  it  was  under  the  delusive  teachings  of  his  pre- 
ceptors, who  taught  him  that 

1st.  Medicine  was  a great  and  perfect  art. 

2d.  It  had  some  few  minor  imperfections  which  might  be  im- 
proved ; and 

3d.  That  he  who  would  attempt  to  improve  it  would  in  all 
human  probability  be  eternally  damned. 

Passing  out  of  the  deleterious  influences  of  the  schools  into  a 
wider  arena  of  thought,  young  Hering  heard  of  the  writings  of 
one  of  his  fellow  countrymen,  a distinguished  German  physician, 
by  the  name  of  Samuel  Hahnemann.  He  went  to  the  store  and 
bought  his  books.  He  took  them  home  to  read  them  and  to  try 
to  understand  them. 

Like  another,  in  later  years,  he  might  have  used  those  books 
for  wadding  to  load  a rusty  ancient  gun,  and  leaving  to  others  to 
fire  the  train,  he  might  have  escaped  across  the  seas  to  await  the 
result  of  the  explosion — and  he  might  have  returned  to  find  no 
damage  done  worth  speaking  about.  Hering  did  sincerely  ex- 
pect to  overthrow  Hahnemann’s  argument ; but  alas  ! he  was 
himself  overthrown.  He  had  read  Hahnemann’s  writings, 


269 


caught  such  glimpses  of  the  truth,  that  thenceforth,  like  the 
children  of  Israel  wandering  in  the  desert,  he  had  ever  before 
his  eager  gaze  the  divine  Shekinah  which  led  him  out  of  darkness 
and  out  of  bondage  into  the  land  that  flowed  with  milk  and 
honey. 

For  more  than  fifty  years  he  was  a faithful  follower  of  Hahne- 
mann’s teachings.  If  he  had  a creed,  it  was  a short  one  and  to 
th6  purpose : “ I believe  in  the  one  great  law  of  cure.” 

With  him  this  was  not  a blind  faith.  He  brought  that  decla- 
ration to  the  test  of  his  experience,  applying  it  with  infinite 
patience  to  multitudes  of  suffering  men,  women  and  children — 
for  let  me  say  here  that  Constantine  Hering  was  no  idle  dreamer. 
He  never  attempted  to  evolve  truth  out  of  his  own  consciousness ; 
but  he  gave  to  this  new  doctrine  the  only  test  by  which  it  may 
be  proven,  namely,  demonstration.  I do  not  think  his  mental 
constitution  led  him  far  into  the  rationale  of  the  law.  He  was 
no  speculator.  He  looked  upon  this  truth  as  thoroughly  a 
practical  one ; and  it  was  his  life’s  labor  to  increase  the  facility 
of  its  application.  And  in  that  life  there  was  wrought  the  labors 
of  two  score  of  the  ordinary  men  of  the  profession.  I think  I 
may  safely  say  that  Constantine  Hering  was  chiefly  great  because 
he  was  an  incessant  toiler.  I do  not  think  he  ever  grew  weary 
of  his  task. 

If  you  will  go  back  to  the  time  wheti  he  landed  on  the  shores 
of  this  new  country,  with  this  new  truth  burning  like  a sacred 
fire  on  the  altar  of  his  heart,  you  will  see  him,  an  alien  and  a 
stranger,  looking  in  vain  amid  a people  whose  language  he  did 
not  understand,  for  kindred  spirits,  with  whom  he  might  com- 
mune, and  for  temples  of  science  to  whose  altars  he  might  bring 
his  spotless  offering.  There  were  medical  schools  and  journals 
and  societies,  and  there  were  thousands  of  medical  men,  but  they 
had  no  sympathy  with  his  thought.  But,  ah,  his  was  a heroic 
soul ! He  knew  the  truth  ; he  loved  and  worshiped  it,  and  he 
resolved  to  give  it  to  the  world. 

In  a little  town  in  Pennsylvania  he  laid  the  foundations  of  his 


270 


work.  I have  never  been  at  Allentown,  but  I would  walk  its 
streets  to-day,  if  I could,  with  reverence.  The  rostrum  and  the 
press  were  the  agencies  he  chose  for  his  instruments.  And  how 
well  they  did  their  work,  let  the  record  of  the  last  half  century 
testify. 

But  another  great  secret  of  Hering’s  success  lay  iu  the 
masterly  power  of  his  inspiration.  Himself  endued  with  inex- 
haustable  inspiration,  he  seldom  failed  to  inspire  all  with  whom 
he  came  into  contact. 

It  was  no  more  idle  to  think  of  touching  fire  without  being 
burned,  than  of  meeting  Hering  and  not  catching  some  of  the 
enthusiasm  that  warned  his  breast.  Nay,  believe  me,  it  was  an 
inspiration  which  made  his  face  radiant  with  light,  and  caused 
his  halting  tongue  to  adorn  the  English  language,  which  he 
never  quite  mastered,  with  new  beauty. 

It  was  not  my  privilege  to  know  him  intimately,  but  I have 
known  many  of  his  scholars ; I have  met  many  men  who  have 
sat  at  his  feet,  and  God  bless  his  memory,  I do  not  know  that 
he  ever  sent  out  a halting  or  a doubting  disciple.  However 
some  of  them  may  have  become  broken  pitchers  in  subsequent 
years,  they  came  from  Hering’s  hands  without  flaw  or  blemish. 

Constantine  Hering  was  a true  Homoeopath.  With  his  whole 
heart  and  mind  he  believed  the  truth  as  expressed  in  Similia. 
The  power  to  demonstrate* its  universal  application  to  all  forms 
of  disease,  was  greatly  limited  in  his  earlier  days.  The  needed 
agencies  were  few.  There  were  no  medical  schools  to  teach 
Hahnemann’s  doctrines.  There  were  no  books  to  promulgate 
this  new-born  truth.  There  were  no  journals  in  which  to  show 
the  results  of  experience,  and  there  was  as  good  a chance  of  find- 
ing paintings  by  the  old  masters  on  this  new  continent  as  of 
finding  drugs  of  any  sort  fit  for  homoeopathic  prescribing.  In 
some  obscure  corner  of  Philadelphia,  in  some  hidden  recess  in 
New  York,  there  might,  perchance,  be  found  a few  remedies  pre- 
pared after  the  formula  laid  down  by  Hahnemann ; and  these, 
when  found,  wrere  mostly  in  the  30th  centesimal  attenuation. 


271 


But  in  those  days  they  knew  no  better  than  to  give  such  things 
to  people  who  were  sick.  They  had  not  heard  of  the  Milwaukee 
Academy  or  of  the  revelations  of  the  Boston  microscope.  And 
so  the  30ths  were  given,  and  as  the  sick  recovered,  the  name 
and  fame  of  Homoeopathy  were  spread  abroad. 

From  Allentown,  Hering  went  to  Philadelphia,  and  on  a 
broader  stage,  surrounded  and  aided  by  ardent  and  able  disciples, 
he  found  his  cause  growing  with  great  rapidity. 

It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the  sceptre  of  command  which 
he  first  took  upon  coming  to  America,  did  not  fall  from  his  hand 
until  he  was  stricken  by  death.  He  fell  at  his  post  of  duty,  and 
upon  the  day  of  his  death  he  was  no  less  ardent  and  devoted  to 
the  truth  of  Homoeopathy  than  when  he  first  espoused  the  cause. 

We  have  seen  some  attempted  changes  in  our  school  within 
the  past  few  years.  Our  fabric  has  been  rocked  by  the  baleful 
influence  of  the  spirit  of  reaction  toward  the  chaos  of  eclecticism 
and  the  discarded  errors  of  Allopathy;  and  while  our  future 
may  be  in  this  respect,  clouded  in  doubt,  we  have  the  proud 
satisfaction  of  knowing  that,  upon  the  fair  escutcheon  of  Hering’s 
name,  this  cloud  can  never  rest,  for  never  did  he  bow  the  knee 
to  Baal. 

The  heroic  old  man  is  dead.  Here  ends  one  of  the  grand- 
est epochs  of  medical  history.  Henceforth  on  her  fair  pages 
shall  stand  four  score  years  marking  the  life  and  labors  of 
Constantine  Hering.  What  a magnificent  spectacle  is  the  pro- 
duction and  completion  of  such  a man  ! What  a crown  of  glory 
it  places  upon  the  brow  of  humanity ! What  a priceless  gift  is 
such  a life  to  the  human  race  ! What  a harvest  of  intellectual 
wealth  is  now  gathered  in  by  the  death  of  this  great  man ! Like 
some  choice  ceramic  he  passed  unharmed  through  the  fires  and 
became  more  and  more  beautiful  as  the  flames  of  adversity 
burned  deeply  into  his  moral  and  mental  nature,  the  immortal 
colors  of  a deathless  life.  Constantine  Hering  was  a born  leader  of 
men  because  of  his  high  intellectual  endowments  and  his  whole- 
souled  devotion  to  truth.  Tradition  tells  us  that,  in  the  far  east, 


272 


and  in  ages  long  since  gone  by,  an  elder  Constantine,  while  at 
the  head  of  his  imperial  army,  saw  in  the  clouds  a vision  of  the 
cross  and  over  it  these  words : “ In  hoc  signo  vinces,”  and  that  by 
that  sign  he  went  forth  to  conquer,  and  laid  the  foundations  of  a 
great  and  lasting  empire. 

So  in  later  times  this  young  Constantine,  saw  in  his  imagina- 
tion, the  fair  temple  of  medical  science  rising  till  its  golden  spires 
were  kissed  by  the  clouds  of  heaven,  and  over  its  fair  portals  he 
saw  deeply  graven  by  the  Divine  hand  these  trenchant  words, 
“ Similia  similibm  curantur”  and  he  exclaimed,  “ by  that  sign  we 
shall  conquer,”  and  like  a true  prophet  he  prophesied  and  then 
fulfilled  his  own  prophesies.  It  is  a supreme  happiness  to  us  who 
live  to-day,  that  we  have  seen  such  a spotless  life  completed. 
He  lived  and  worshiped  at  the  shrine  of  nature ; and  when  his 
days  were  numbered,  he  fell  into  the  mighty  arms  of  the  All- 
Natura  which  had  cradled  him  in  his  infancy,  and  in  that  great 
bosom,  the  love  and  power  of  which  no  man  knows,  Constantine 
Hering  sleeps  the  sleep  of  the  just. 

The  chairman  next  introduced  Prof.  H.  C.  Allen,  who 
said : 

It  is  a remarkable  fact  that  the  efforts  of  the  opponents  of  our 
system  of  practice  to  prove  the  law  of  similia  a “humbug,”  by 
the  writing  of  a work  that  should  thoroughly  expose  it,  com- 
pletely uproot  the  heresy,  and  thus  prevent  its  dissemination, 
should  have  resulted  in  giving  our  school  two  of  its  strongest 
defenders  and  ablest  champions — Dr.  Quin  in  Great  Britain  and 
Dr.  Hering  in  America.  Commissioned  to  strike  the  budding 
truth  a death  blow  in  its  infancy,  they  were  themselves  convicted 
and  became  enthusiastic  converts. 

The  former,  as  President  and  one  of  the  founders  of  the  British 
Homoeopathic  Society,  has  done  yeoman  service  in  his  native 
land — the  land  of  Harvey,  Jenner  and  Sydenham;  while  the 
latter,  as  one  of  the  founders  of  the  oldest  medical  society  in 


273 


America,  and  its  first  President — the  American  Institute — as  one 
of  the  founders  of  the  first  Homoeopathic  College  in  the  world 
and  its  first  Professor  of  Materia  Medica,  has  not  only  rendered 
heroic  service  to  the  Homoeopathic  School,  but  has  left  a name 
honored  and  revered  wherever  scientific  medicine  is  known. 

Hering’s  labors  in  the  field  of  Materia  Medica  have  been  of  a 
two-fold  character,  viz.,  his  personal  contributions — second  only 
to  those  of  Hahnemann  in  number — and  the  contributions  which 
through  his  magnetic  enthusiasm,  that  brilliant  coterie  of  co- 
laborers by  whom  he  was  surrounded,  were  induced  to  make. 
To  Hering,  more  than  to  any  other  man,  are  we  indebted  for  the 
Materia  Medica  contributions  of  Carroll  Dunham — some  of  the 
clearest  expositions  and  ablest  differentiations  of  the  mode  of 
action  of  some  of  the  remedies  to  be  found  in  our  literature. 
Dunham  has  said  that  “ in  Constantine  Hering  I gained  the  most 
helpful,  generous  and  genial  friend  I have  ever  made;”  and  few 
men  were  more  capable  of  judging  than  Carroll  Dunham. 

But  it  is  not  so  much  the  number  of  remedies  which  he  has 
added  to  the  Materia  Medica,  great  as  they  are,  as  the  manner 
in  which  they  are  added,  for  which  wTe  should  be  most  thankful. 
Like  Hahnemann,  Hering  grasped  the  basic  principle  upon 
which  alone  an  enduring  Materia  Medica  can  be  constructed, 
viz.,  that  the  positive  facts  of  the  prover  shall  be  recorded  in 
plain,  untechnical  language,  free  from  theoretical  speculations. 
Provings  thus  made  are  of  the  nature  of  lasting  observations,  and 
are  as  fixed  and  unchangeable  as  the  law  of  cure.  This  is  the 
reason  why  the  simple  pure  record  of  observed  facts,  which 
Hahnemann  and  his  disciples  recorded  in  the  Materia  Medica 
Pura  fifty  years  ago,  free  from  theories  and  speculations  of  a 
physiological  and  pathological  character,  are  to-day  as  intelligi- 
ble, as  available,  as  well  adapted  to  meet  our  wants  in  practice 
as  when  they  left  the  Master’s  hand.  Hering,  in  our  day,  had 
the  same  material  from  which  to  construct  a physiological  theory 
of  the  action  of  a drug  that  Hahnemann  and  his  disciples  had ; 
in  fact,  the  great  advances  made  by  the  progressive  sciences  of 
18 


274 


physiology  and  pathology  in  the  last  fifty  years,  gave  him  a vast 
advantage  over  Hahnemann.  But,  like  Hahnemann,  he  con- 
fined himself  simply  to  the  recording  of  the  fact,  thus  leaving  each 
observer  free  to  place  his  own  construction  upon  the  action  of 
the  drug.  This  is  a work  Avhich  cannot  be  delegated  to  another ; 
because,  as  Dunham  says:  “ The  significance  of  a fact  is  measured 
by  the  capacity  of  the  observer.” 

Next  to  his  tireless,  never-flagging  industry,  “the  capacity  to 
measure  the  significance  of  a fact”  has  been  equalled  by  but 
few  men  our  school  has  yet  produced,  and  excelled  by  none,  save 
Hahnemann  himself.  That  rare  quality  of  the  student  of  Materia 
Medica,  possessed  by  Hering  in  such  a remarkable  degree,  viz., 
the  ability  to  detect  the  individual  characteristics  of  a drug — 
those  finer  points  of  difference  not  to  be  found  in  the  provings  of 
any  other — is  what  has  rendered  his  labors  of  such  lasting  benefit 
to  his  fellows.  It  is  this  quality  which  has  made  his  Condensed 
Materia  Medica  the  best  work  of  ready  reference  yet  produced 
in  the  Homoeopathic  School  for  the  busy  practitioner.  This  is 
also  the  first  work  of  a standard  character,  in  which  the  general 
anatomical  divisions  in  our  Materia  Medica  adopted  by  Hahne- 
mann as  a basis  for  the  classification  of  symptoms,  has  been  de- 
parted from.  The  rubrics,  it  is  true,  are  increased  in  number, 
but  they  are  admirably  arranged  to  meet  a two-fold  object:  the 
condensation  of  numerous  provings,  and  the  classification  of 
symptomatology  for  ready  reference,  a want  long  felt  in  practice. 

The  introduction  of  the  serpent  poisons,  in  the  magnificent 
proving  of  Lachesis,  marked  an  era  of  advance  in  our  Materia 
Medica.  It  w7as  violently  assailed  by  the  pathologico-physiologi- 
cal  branch  of  the  school,  both  in  this  country  and  in  Germany, 
and  the  author  accused  of  “manufacturing  the  symptoms,”  etc. 
The  old  view  entertained  by  toxicologists  “that  the  poison  of 
serpents  is  digested  by  the  gastric  fluids,  and  cannot  manifest 
any  poisonous  properties  when  introduced  into  the  living  or- 
ganism through  this  channel,”  was  first  disproved  by  the  proving 
of  the  attenuated  poison  of  Lachesis,  and  abundantly  verified 


since. 


275 


Hempel’s  Materia  Medica,  first  edition,  page  1143,  says:  “The 
provings  of  the  Lachesis  virus  have  been  instituted  with  very 
small  quantities  of  the  poison,  mostly  with  the  hundredth  up  to 
the  infinitesimal  portion  of  a drop.  It  has,  therefore,  become 
questionable  with  a great  many,  and  'indeed,  so  far  as  Germany 
is  concerned,  with  almost  all  thinking  homoeopathic  practitioners, 
whether  the  almost  interminable  array  of  symptoms  which  Dr. 
Hering  alleges  to  have  been  produced  by  the  Lachesis  poison,  is 
not  the  work  of  fancy  rather  than  of  actual  observation.  In 
spite  of  every  effort  to  the  contrary,  the  conviction  has  gradually 
forced  itself  upon  my  mind  that  the  pretended  pathogenesis  of 
Lachesis,  which  has  emanated  from  Dr.  Hering’s  otherwise  meri- 
torious and  highly  praiseworthy  efforts,  is  a great  delusion,  and 
that,  with  the  exception  of  the  poisonous  effects  with  which  this 
publication  is  abundantly  mingled,  the  balance  of  the  symptoms 
is  unreliable.” 

The  above  was  written  in  1859,  and  it  certainly  was  some 
gratification  to  Dr.  Hering  to  have  seen  the  verification  of  his 
proving  in  the  succeeding  twenty  years,  and  his  character  for 
accuracy  maintained.  The  verifications  of  the  provings  of  Lach- 
esis opened  the  door  for  all  the  other  serpent  as  well  as  insect 
poisons ; the  principle  involved  being  the  same.  Hence  Crotalus, 
Naja,  Apium  virus,  etc.,  have  been  accepted  as  proven. 

As  Hering  was  far  in  advance  of  his  colleagues  and  cotempo- 
raries in  the  demonstration  of  the  power  of  the  attenuated  remedy 
to  produce  genuine  and  reliable  pathogeneses,  so  he  was  in  prac- 
tical therapeutics  when  he  published  his  “ Analytical  Therapeu- 
tics” and  “The  Guiding  Symptoms.”  He  lived  long  enough  to 
see  his  Lachesis  proving  verified  in  practice ; and  from  Pisgah’s 
height  he  viewed  the  Canaan  which  the  general  profession  may 
see  in  the  next  generation,  when  there  may  be  a demand  for 
those  two  works.  Let  us  emulate  his  virtues  and  practice  his 
never- tiring  industry,  so  that  we  may  be  able  to  contribute  our 
mite  to  the  common  stock  of  knowledge. 


276 


After  the  remarks  of  the  faculty,  the  following  resolu- 
tions were  presented  and  unanimously  adopted : 

Whereas,  We  learn  with  sorrow  of  the  death  of  Dr.  Con- 
stantine Hering;  therefore, 

Resolved , That  we  recognize  in  his  death  the  termination  of  a 
great  and  useful  life. 

Resolved,  That  to  Dr.  Hering  belongs  rightfully  the  title  of 
“The  Father  of  American  Homoeopathy.” 

Resolved,  That  to  his  life  and  labors  medical  science  will  be 
forever  under  obligations. 

Resolved,  That  we  unite  in  an  earnest  request,  that  a fitting 
memorial,  monumental  or  otherwise,  be  made  to  his  memory  by 
the  medical  profession  of  America. 


MEETING  IN  CLEVELAND,  OHIO. 

The  Cleveland  Academy  of  Medicine  and  Surgery  met 
on  October  10th,  1880,  pursuant  to  call;  Dr.  H.  F.  Biggar, 
President,  Dr.  A.  C.  Buell,  Secretary.  The  object  of  the 
meeting  was  explained  by  reading  the  call  for  the  Hering 
Memorial. 

The  Bev.  Dr.  Bolles,  who  had  been  requested  to  open 
the  meeting  with  prayer,  prefaced  the  devotions  with 
some  remarks,  of  which  the  following  is  an  outline : 

But  why  commemorate  the  faithful  departed? 

Why  think  of  them  at  all?  Why  not  rather  let  them  be  for- 
gotten as  a dream  of  the  night — buried  forever  in  oblivion — never 
more  to  come  as  ghosts  to  disturb  our  slumbers — or  why  not,  if 
we  must  sometimes  think  of  them,  let  it  be  only  as  gone,  lost, 
dead,  buried,  annihilated,  absolutely  extinct — never  more  to  live 
in  thought  or  memory? 


Alas ! alas ! an  impossibility.  As  well  might  we  endeavor  to 
annihilate  ourselves — as  well  might  we  try  to  extinguish  the  light 
of  the  universe,  as  to  quench  the  embers  of  an  undying  memory 
of  the  dead. 

But  if  we  must  think  of  them — how  f 

God  be  praised,  we  have  an  answer  to  this  momentous  question 
in  Holy  Scripture,  as  plain  as  the  sun  in  the  heavens. 

How  then  must  we  think  of  them  ? How  commemorate  them  ? 
Let  the  Bible  answer. 

1st.  We  must  think  of  them  as  still  alive — that  “Heath  hath 
no  more  dominion  over  them;”  that  “in  that  they  died,  they 
died  unto  sin  once ; but  in  that  they  lived,  they  live  unto  God 
“ delivered  from  the  burden  of  the  flesh  and  -are  in  joy  and 
felicity,”  for  which  we  love  and  praise,  and  magnify  His  glorious 
name ! 

What  said  our  Saviour  of  the  departed  faithful  of  old — of 
Abraham,  of  Isaac  and  Jacob  ? 

Expressly  that  they  are  alive,  awaiting  the  resurrection ; for 
“ God  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living  ” — and  if  they 
are  alive,  much  more  “ the  faithful  departed,”  from  their  time  to 
ours,  who  “ have  fallen  asleep  in  Christ.” 

2d.  We  must  think  of  them  as  “witnesses”  ever  living,  and 
ever  testifying — “an  innumerable  cloud”  or  multitude,  as  when 
the  Apostle  wrote  his  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews — and  yet  then  only 
skirting,  as  it  were,  the  horizon,  but  now  covering  the  whole 
heavens ; and  what  they  see  and  what  they  testify,  no  tongue 
could  begin  to  mention. 

3d.  We  must  think  of  them  as  part  of  ourselves,  our  own  mem- 
bers, already  rescued,  saved,  housed,  and  yet  still  holding  on  to 
us,  our  hands  clasped  together  in  theirs,  in  Christ ; our  hearts 
knit  together  with  theirs,  as  in  one  common  bond  of  love  and 
peace  and  joy — their  song  of  praise  must  be  ours — theirs  in  tri- 
umph, ours  in  hope  — theirs  for  us  as  well  as  for  themselves,  and 
ours  for  them  as  well  as  for  ourselves ; remembering  always  that 
the  same  almighty  power,  and  love,  and  mercy  which  have  car- 


278 


ried  them  safely  through  the  trials  and  conflicts  of  this  mortal 
life,  and  made  them  victorious,  are  pledged  to  us,  and  will  make 
us  victorious,  provided  only  we  let  not  go  our  grasp,  and  “ be 
faithful  even  unto  death.” 

“ Men  once  like  us  with  suffering  tried, 

But  now  with  glory  crowned.” 

4th.  We  must  think  of  the  faithful  departed  not  as  lost,  not  as 
dead,  not  only  as  still  living ; not  only  as  our  witnesses ; not  only 
as  our  members  with  us  of  the  same  mystical  body ; but  as  still 
our  friends,  our  companions,  our  associates,  our  brethren,  our 
“ well  beloved  in  Christ,”  bone  of  our  bone,  flesh  of  our  flesh, 
soul  of  our  soul,  from  whom  it  is  impossible  for  Death  to  separate 
us,  or  to  break  the  sacred  ties  of  our  common  humanity. 

Drs.  J.  C.  Sanders  and  H.  H.  Baxter  were  then  ap- 
pointed a committee  to  report  the  expression  of  the  meet- 
ing, and  reported  as  follows  : 

The  death  of  Dr.  Constantine  Hering,  which  occurred  in  Phil- 
adelphia, on  the  23d  of  July  last,  impresses  us  with  mingled  re- 
joicing, sorrow,  and  sense  of  loss. 

We  are  constrained  to  rejoice  that  in  Divine  compassion  by 
which  his  death  was  unheralded,  and  sudden,  he  was  spared  the 
painful  consciousness  of  decrepit  powers,  usually  inseparable 
from  the  frosty  age  into  which  his  years  were  mercifully  length- 
ened, and  the  sense  of  suffering  and  anguish,  so  common  to  mor- 
tal life  and  death.  We  rejoice  that  to  him  were  vouchsafed  such 
extraordinary  physical  strength  and  endurance,  such  splendid 
mental  endowments,  and  such  an  evident  Divine  calling  to  the 
profession  to  which  he  gave  his  life. 

We  rejoice  that  in  the  great  diversity  and  range  of  his  study 
and  work,  he  always  proved  loyal  to  the  great  Master  whose  dis- 
ciple he  was,  and  whom  he  faithfully  followed. 

And  we  rejoice  that  all  his  great  powers,  and  distinguished 


279 


study  and  work  were  consecrated  to  the  discovery,  and  determin- 
ing the  best  and  surest  means  of  relief  and  cure  of  human  sick- 
ness and  suffering,  and  that  he  unselfishly  and  freely  gave  to  the 
profession  at  large  whatever  he  regarded  valuable  in  the  products 
of  his  study  and  thought,  and  therefore  that  his  name  is  written 
imperishably, 

“Where  they  who  have  loved  their  fellow-men,  have  names, 

Whom  the  love  of  God  has  blessed.” 

But  we  sorrow  with  his  kin  that  we  shall  see  his  genial  face  no 
more,  or  hear  his  winsome  voice,  or  feel  his  inspiring  presence,  or 
have  our  paths  lighted  by  another  thought  from  his  earnest,  hal- 
lowed mind. 

And  this  is  the  great  and  irreparable  loss  we  personally,  and 
as  a profession  deplore,  a loss  which  leaves  an  ineffaceable  shadow 
upon  all  who  knew  him,  all  who  loved  him,  all  to  whom  his  name 
is  dear. 

Dr.  D.  H.  Beckwith  then  made  the  following  remarks : 

Mr.  President: — I desire  to  say  a few  words  in  regard  to  the 
event  which  has  caused  this  Society  to  assemble  here  to-night,  in 
grief,  in  sorrow,  in  honor,  and  respect.  A few  years  since  we 
mourned  the  loss  of  John  Wheeler,  M.D.,  who  died  in  this  city, 
ripe  in  years  and  full  of  honor.  Our  next  call  was  to  the  mem- 
ory of  William  E.  Saunders,  M.D.,  who  passed  away  in  the 
spring-time  of  life,  with  brilliant  prospects  for  the  future  before 
him. 

We  are  called  once  more  to  bow  with  submission  to  the  in- 
scrutable will  of  Him,  in  whose  hands  are  the  issues  of  life  and 
death,  to  mourn  the  loss  of  one  who,  during  a long  career,  has 
distinguished  himself  in  our  profession  as  a writer,  a translator, 
a teacher,  a practitioner  of  medicine,  and  a prover  of  remedies. 
That  mysterious  roll  of  human  fate  slowly  unfolds  her  book,  page 
after  page,  guided  by  the  unerring  hand  of  time,  and  calls  us, 
one  by  one,  to  a sphere  of  higher  existence.  It  would  be  a 


280 


strange  neglect  on  the  part  of  the  medical  profession  if  we  should 
give  no  formal  expression  of  our  grief  and  sorrow  at  the  death 
of  one  who  has  done  so  much  for  us  all,  and,  while  we  mourn  the 
loss  of  this  great  man,  we  may  also  rejoice  that  such  a man  lived 
in  our  day.  No  future  can  rob  him  of  his  history,  and  for  many 
years  his  name  shall  be  cherished  and  his  works  be  emulated. 
Like  the  falling  leaves  of  this  beautiful  October  day,  many  of 
our  physicians  pass  off  from  the  stage  of  existence,  and  no  public 
record  is  made  of  them,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  history  takes 
up  our  great  men  and  holds  them  as  precious  jewels  on  her  pages, 
embalms  them  in  her  records,  and  perpetuates  their  memory  to 
generations  yet  unborn. 

The  profession  will  agree  with  me,  without  a dissenting  voice, 
that  Constantine  Hering  wTas  a man  of  application  to  that  science 
he  loved  so  well.  In  his  writings  he  had  a keenness  of  vision,  a 
power  of  observation  accorded  but  to  few.  He  was  devoted  to 
his  profession  for  over  half  a century,  studying  it  always  as  a 
science,  and  practicing  Homoeopathy  as  taught  by  Samuel 
Hahnemann. 

When  I call  up  the  name  of  him  whom  we  eulogize  to-night, 
it  seems  to  me  that  he  was  an  old  good  friend  of  mine,  that  he 
was  one  of  my  teachers  of  Homoeopathy  thirty  years  ago.  At 
that  time  his  name  was  familiar  to  all  the  homoeopathic  physi- 
cians of  the  West.  In  the  year  1850  and  1851  there  were  but 
few  homoeopathic  publications  and  books  in  the  English  language. 

Among  those  in  my  library  were: 

1st.  “ Hering’s  Domestic  Physician.” 

2d.  “ Samuel  Hahnemann’s  Organon  of  Homoeopathic  Medi- 
cine,” translated  in  the  year  1849  from  the  last  German  edition, 
with  suggestions  and  additional  introductory  remarks,  by  Con- 
stantine Hering,  M.D. 

3d.  “ How  to  Study  Materia  Medica,  and  the  Effects  of  the 
Poison  of  Serpents.” 

4th.  “ Chronic  Diseases,  their  Specific  Nature  and  Homoeo- 
pathic Treatment,”  with  a preface  written  by  Constantine  Hering. 


281 


5th.  “ Jahr’s  Manual  of  Homoeopathic  Medicine,”  in  two  vol- 
umes, with  improvements  and  additions  by  C.  Hering. 

Also  “ Jahr’s  New  Manuel  of  Symptomen  Codex,”  of  over 
2000  pages,  in  two  volumes,  with  a preface  from  Hering  written 
in  1848.  (I  regard  this  work  of  great  value  to  the  practitioner, 
as  well  as  to  the  student  of  medicine.) 

In  February,  1851,  the  first  number  was  issued  of  the  North 
American  Homoeopathic  Journal,  a quarterly  magazine  of  148 
pages,  devoted  to  practical  and  scientific  articles.  Constantine 
Hering  was  the  editor-in-chief,  and  each  number  contained  several 
articles  from  his  pen. 

From  book  acquaintance  I had  formed  an  exalted  idea  of 
Hering  as  a writer  and  teacher  of  Homoeopathy.  He  was  re- 
garded, as  a practitioner  of  medicine,  second  to  none.  In  the 
year  1863  I formed  his  personal  acquaintance,  and  since  that 
date  have  often  met  him.  He  was  a ripe  scholar,  refined  by  study, 
cultivated  by  extensive  foreign  travel,  and  familiar  with  most  of 
the  leading  homoeopathists  of  the  Old  World.  He  was  at  most 
times  able  and  willing  to  instruct  those  who  were  thrown  in 
contact  with  him. 

I regarded  him  as  a man  of  positive  qualities,  untiring  in  his 
labors  for  his  profession  and  true  to  the  principles  of  Homoe- 
opathy. I well  recollect  a call  at  his  office  several  years  ago ; he 
was  not  in  his  usual  social  mood,  but  seemed  very  indignant  that 
so  many  homoeopathic  practitioners  in  Philadelphia  had  deviated 
from  the  teachings  of  Hahnemann  and  were  practicing  a mongrel 
system  of  medicine. 

He  exhibited  to  me  a list  of  homoeopaths  on  one  page  and  the 
other  class  on  the  opposite  one.  He  was  so  positive  in  his  re- 
marks in  regard  to  their  practice,  that  I yet  recollect  the  names 
as  they  appeared  on  the  different  pages.  It  was  a source  of  deep 
regret  to  him  that  so  much  eclecticism  was  practiced  by  those  who 
were  so  intimately  associated  with  him  in  college  and  other 
work. 

Mr.  President,  we  all  might  have  asked  that  a man  so  intel- 


282 


lectual,  so  gifted  in  character,  so  true  to  his  profession,  might 
have  been  spared  a little  longer  to  have  finished  the  work  he  was 
engaged  in  and  so  near  completed,  but  the  Great  Physician 
called  him  to  a nobler  and  higher  sphere  for  his  future  labors. 

Waiving  on  this  occasion  all  utterances  of  private  sorrow, 
we  unite  this  evening  with  our  brethren  in  other  cities,  at  this 
hour  assembled,  in  placing  high  on  the  roll  of  professional  honor 
the  name  of  Constantine  Hering. 

Dr.  Clausen  moved  the  adoption  of  the  resolutions, 
which  motion  was  carried,  and  the  meeting  adjourned. 


MEETING  IN  DENVER,  COLORADO. 

The  Hering  Memorial  meeting  was  held  in  Denver  at 
the  residence  of  Dr.  Ambrose  S.  Everett,  Drs.  Burnham, 
Cole,  Everett,  Eastman,  Hart,  Smythe  and  Wheeler,  of 
Denver,  and  Dr.  Piepgras,  of  Loveland,  being  present. 

The  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  Dr.  Everett,  who 
read  the  circular  letter  of  the  Hering  Memorial  Commit- 
tee, and  stated  the  object  of  the  meeting.  He  then  nomi- 
nated Dr.  Smythe,  who  was  elected  chairman  of  the 
meeting.  On  motion  of  Dr.  Wheeler,  Dr.  A.  L.  Cole  was 
elected  secretary. 

Dr.  Everett  then  read  letters  of  regret  from  Drs.  Aaron 
Walker,  of  Denver,  C.  C.  Brace,  of  Boulder,  L.  E.  Marsh, 
of  Greeley,  and  W.  R.  Owens,  of  Pueblo. 

On  motion  of  Dr.  Everett,  a committee  was  appointed 
to  draft  resolutions  in  honor  of  and  respect  for  the  de- 
ceased. As  such  committee  the  chair  then  appointed 


283 


Drs.  Everett,  Wheeler,  and  Hart,  who  reported  the  fol- 
lowing resolutions,  which  were  unanimously  adopted: 

Whereas,  After  a very  long  and  useful  life,  and  at  a ripe  old 
age,  it  lias  pleased  Almighty  God  to  remove  from  the  scenes  of 
his  earthly  toils  and  labors  that  venerable  father  of  homoeopathic 
medicine  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  that  kind-hearted  and  genu- 
ine friend,  that  excellent  citizen  and  devoted  husband  and  father, 
Dr.  Constantine  Hering;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved , That  we  return  thanks  to  the  Father  of  us  all  for  the 
great  measure  of  his  days,  and  for  the  blessings  which  we  have 
inherited  by  reason  of  his  long  and  useful  life ; and  be  it 

Resolved,  That  the  void  we  feel  and  the  loss  we  sustain  shall 
but  stimulate  us  to  renewed  industry  for  and  devotion  to  that 
school  of  medicine  to  wThich  he  was  so  much  attached,  and  for 
which  he  gave  all  the  years  of  his  manhood ; and  be  it 

Resolved,  That  we  pledge  ourselves  to  keep  his  grave  green  and 
his  memory  fresh  in  the  hearts  of  his  medical  brethren  where  the 
lofty  mountains  and  the  broad  plains  meet ; and  be  it 

Resolved,  That  we,  as  the  representatives  of  Homoeopathy  in  this, 
the  Centennial  State,  tender  to  the  family  of  our  deceased  brother 
all  the  sympathy  and  consolation  that  it  is  possible  for  those  im- 
bued with  human  impulses  to  bestow. 

Pending  the  adoption  of  the  foregoing  resolutions,  the 
following  addresses  in  honor  of  the  late  Dr.  Hering  were 
made.  Dr.  Burnham  spoke  as  follows: 

Fourteen  years  ago  last  August  I first  met  Dr.  Hering  in  his 
home  in  Philadelphia.  I found  him  a genial,  generous-hearted, 
painstaking  man,  whose  ambition  and  highest  aspirations  pointed 
to  the  present  and  future  growth  of  the  principles  and  practice 
of  Homoeopathy. 

As  a man,  one  of  the  noblest  types  of  his  nationality  by  birth, 


284 


and  whose  life  career  has  adorned  and  made  illustrious  the 
nationality  of  his  adoption. 

As  a scientist,  the  genius  of  his  superior  abilities  numbered 
him  among  those  of  the  largest  attainments. 

As  a theorist,  he  largely  possessed  the  ability  to  prove  and 
practically  apply  in  science  and  medicine. 

As  a writer  and  author  on  medical  subjects,  he  was  one  of  the 
ablest  and  most  industrious  of  his  time. 

As  a practitioner  of  the  healing  art,  his  eminent  success  gave 
him  a world-wide  reputation. 

As  a pioneer  of  Homoeopathy  in  America,  he  has  lived  to  see 
it  rise  from  small  beginnings,  when  its  practitioners  could  be 
counted  upon  his  fingers’  ends,  to  be  numbered  by  thousands,  and 
whose  patrons  are  found  among  the  most  cultured,  refined,  and 
wealthy  of  the  land,  and  whose  literature,  limited  though  it  was 
in  the  primitive  days  of  Homoeopathy,  yet  founded  upon  a prin- 
ciple as  fixed  and  as  potent  as  the  fiat  of  its  creation,  has  grown 
with  its  growth  and  strengthened  with  its  strength,  until  it  occu- 
pies no  inferior  place  in  the  annals  of  medical  science;  whose  in- 
stitutions of  learning,  started  first  by  his  enterprise,  nurtured  by 
his  care,  as  a lone  representative  for  the  teaching  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  new  science  and  art  in  medicine,  are  now  to  be 
found  in  nearly  all  of  the  large  cities  of  the  continent. 

Of  all  the  names  of  the  worthy  few  of  the  pioneers,  none  have 
contributed  to  render  the  literature  and  practice  of  Homoeopathy 
more  illustrious  than  Constantine  Hering. 

I consulted  him  on  one  occasion  with  reference  to  a patient  in 
whom  I had  an  especial  interest  (it  being  my  other  and  better 
half),  and,  after  making  a careful  and  critical  examination,  he 
invited  me  to  his  private  study  to  review  the  case  further,  and 
proceeded  to  make  an  exhaustive  investigation.  His  manner  of 
study,  his  thoroughness  in  analyzing  a case  (so  in  contrast  with 
many  whom  I have  met  in  the  profession,  possessed  of  more 
assumption  than  wisdom,  who  would  deign  to  study  a case  only 
as  a marked  exception),  impressed  my  mind  most  forcibly  as  to 


285 


the  necessity  of  a thorough  and  accurate  knowledge  of  patholog- 
ical conditions,  symptoms,  and  remedy,  before  prescribing.  In 
the  course  of  that  investigation  he  remarked  to  me,  “ Let  us 
apply  the  triangular  test,  and  if  we  can  find  three  important  or 
characteristic  symptoms  pointing  to  one  remedy,  let  me  assure 
you  that  we  can  prescribe  it  with  almost  unerring  certainty.”  I 
have  tested  its  application  in  hundreds  of  cases,  and  when  clearly 
defined,  it  seldom  fails  to  fulfil  its  mission.  As  an  aid  in  my 
investigations,  I have  kept  faithfully  in  view  the  illustration  of 
the  triangle,  the  trinity  of  symptoms,  in  the  selection  of  a remedy, 
with  the  motto  inscribed  within  the  boundaries  of  its  lines  and 
angles  so  appropriately  expressed : “ By  this  sign  we  conquer.” 

And  now,  fellow-members  of  the  profession,  let  us  one  and  all 
strive  more  fully  to  emulate  the  example  of  him  in  whose  memory 
we  have  assembled  here  to-night,  illustrious  in  not  only  a few,  but 
in  many  things ; working  so  faithfully  in  the  cause  so  self-sacri- 
ficingly  espoused,  even  to  the  very  day  and  hour  when  his  spirit 
was  summoned  to  leave  this  earthly  tabernacle,  to  come  up 
higher ; inscribing  his  name  among  the  highest  on  the  triangular 
pyramid  of  fame,  wreathed  with  a galaxy  of  time-honored 
achievements,  whose  lustre  shall  brighten  as  the  days  wear  on 
and  the  years  roll  by,  to  be  crowned  with  an  immortal  inheritance. 

While  thousands  are  assembled  in  their  respective  places  of 
abode,  on  this  day  and  this  hour,  throughout  the  length  and 
breadth  of  the  land,  to  do  honor  to  his  name— fitting  tribute  to 
one  so  noble  and  so  worthy — I will  gladly  express,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  another,  a sentiment : “ May  his  memory  grow  green 
with  years,  and  blossom  through  the  flight  of  ages.” 

Dr.  A.  L.  Cole  then  arose  and  made  the  following 
remarks: 

The  spirit  of  man  takes  its  departure  from  the  body,  the  life- 
less tissues  return  to  the  elements  from  which  they  originated ; 
the  atomic  re-arrangement  of  these  elements  convert  them  again 
into  living  organisms,  and  man  once  dead  again  lives. 


286 


The  transitory  stage  from  life  to  death  is  not  one  of  fear,  pain, 
or  agony;  not  of  anguish  or  regret,  but  calmly  the  vital  forces 
ebb  away,  the  combination  of  vital  organs  cease  to  perform  their 
functions,  the  vitalizing  fluid  ceases  to  circulate,  respiration  is 
suspended,  and  all  that  was  once  a living,  animate  being  is  trans- 
formed to  a lifeless  structure. 

Man  is  but  a mass  of  matter,  the  feeblest  in  nature ; yet  how 
mighty  when  compared  with  all  else  of  the  animal  creation. 
This  element  we  see  in  men  like  Hering,  feeble  in  muscular 
development  as  compared  with  others,  yet  yielding  an  intellectual 
power  which  commands  the  respect,  love,  and  admiration  of  their 
strongest  brothers.  He  will  live  in  the  minds  of  men ; although 
literally  dead,  his  memory  is  always  fresh,  his  career  bright, 
beautiful  and  pure,  like  the  rich,  sparkling  diamond. 

He  lived  for  the  good  of  man,  in  order  that  this  world  might 
be  beautiful  from  his  having  lived  in  it,  and  to  this  end  a greater 
portion  of  his  valuable  life  was  given  up  to  the  work  for  the 
benefit  of  others.  He  lived  an  honest,  upright,  modest  life,  tem- 
perate in  his  habits,  pleasant  and  gentlemanly  to  those  who 
sought  his  acquaintance,  and  aiding  many  without  remuneration, 
to  the  great  detriment  of  himself. 

His  home  was  in  his  study,  the  ornaments  of  which  were  vol- 
umes of  manuscript;  there  he  loved  to  devote  his  hours  in 
gathering  the  products  of  thinking  minds  the  world  over,  of 
ascertaining  their  accuracy,  and  arranging  them  into  convenient 
form  for  us  to  digest. 

And  so  he  succeeded  admirably,  the  products  which  from  the 
result  of  his  great  mind  are  to  be  found  in  the  library  of  his 
fellow-laborers  of  every  land,  cherished  by  their  possessors  as 
only  the  works  of  Hering  can  be  cherished,  and  more  valued 
than  the  wealth  of  gold  and  jewels. 

For  the  noble  work  performed  by  him  we  this  day  assemble  to 
commemorate  his  life,  and  may  his  memory  be  cherished  by  all. 
May  we  spare  one  moment  in  thought  for  him,  and  when  in  our 
library  we  ponder  over  his  master-work  in  search  of  knowledge 


287 


that  will  enable  us  to  save  the  life  of  some  poor  creature  entrusted 
to  our  care,  let  us  praise  Hering  for  his  great  work. 

Dr.  Emma  Eastman  followed  with  the  following  re- 
marks : 

Examining  a placer  mine  and  hearing  a miner  say  that  he 
wanted  its  gold,  but  it  would  not  pay  to  work  it,  reminds  one  of 
American  scholars  who  bend  all  their  energies  to  the  test  question 
—will  it  pay?  If  it  pays,  they  burn  the  midnight  oil  and  use 
their  brain  power  without  stint  or  measure ; but  if  not,  the  Yan- 
kee seizes  upon  the  results  of  others  and  often  robs  the  laborious 
student  of  his  hardly  won  honors. 

It  is  not  so  with  the  Germans.  They  are  willing  to  delve  for 
the  grains  of  golden  truth  until  their  accumulations  are  the  envy 
of  all  nations. 

Pre-eminent  among  such  miners  was  Dr.  Constantine  Hering. 
While  a student  he  became  so  renowned  for  his  profound  scholar- 
ship and  for  his  bitter  hostility  to  Homoeopathy,  that  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  expose  the  fallacy  of  the  doctrine  of  “ Similia  similibus 
curantur.”  Like  a true  scholar  he  investigated  and  experimented 
for  himself,  until  he  was  won  over  to  the  new  theory  of  medicine 
and  wrote  a thesis,  “De  Medicina  Futura,”  in  which  he  ex- 
pounded and  maintained  the  doctrine  of  Hahnemann  in  the 
great  University  of  Wurzburg,  where  he  graduated. 

Thus  was  the  seed  sown  which  will  make  the  name  of  Hering 
go  down  to  the  ages  growing  brighter  and  brighter  unto  the 
perfect  day. 

Dr.  L.  J.  Ingersoll  addressed  the  meeting  in  the  follow- 
ing words: 

A great  and  a good  man  has  fallen.  Dr.  Hering  wras  great  as 
a student,  as  a scientist,  and  as  a benefactor.  He  was  great  as  a 
leader  of  a most  beneficent  profession ; great  as  an  organizer  of 


288 


a comparatively  new  school  of  medicine;  great  because  he  made 
few  mistakes ; great  because,  while  he  excelled  others  in  breadth 
and  in  an  exactness  of  knowledge,  he  was  held  as  an  enemy  by 
none.  He  was  great  by  nature  and  great  by  culture. 

Dr.  Hering  was  good  because,  while  “ cultivating  earnestly  the 
best  gifts”  for  himself,  he  strove  “ through  good  and  through  evil 
report”  to  lead  all  men  up  into  a higher  and  a better  life;  good 
because,  while  he  acquired  all  the  knowledge  he  could  that  would 
relieve  the  suffering  and  keep  the  well  from  sickness,  he  used  his 
skill  not  for  self,  but  for  the  good  of  all  wTho  would  receive. 

And  now  that  Dr.  Constantine  Hering  has  gone  from  among 
us,  we  shall  do  well  to  gather  up  what  of  wisdom  he  has  left  us, 
remembering  he  has  written  nothing  that  ought  to  be  forgotten. 

While  we  lament  that  one  so  great  and  good  should  have  been 
called  up  higher  from  so  needful  a work,  I am  most  thankful 
that  he  lived  so  long  and  did  so  much  for  his  race— how  much, 
we  can  never  know.  As  physicians  we  can  never  cease  to  cherish 
his  memory,  or  forget  the  gracious  heritage  he  has  left  us  in  his 
unsurpassable  Materia  Medica. 

Hering  is  dead,  but  his  works  and  words  live  to  bless  mankind. 
The  stream  that  rose  among  the  hills  of  Germany  so  many  years 
ago,  and  which  for  half  a century  blessed  our  Western  continent, 
has  peacefully  found  its  way  back  to  its  source.  That  life  that 
sent  sunshine  and  joy  into  so  many  sick-rooms,  and  brought 
health  to  so  many  aching  hearts,  has  at  last  gone  out  in  the  still 
brighter  glory  of  the  redeemed.  He,  who  saved  so  many  from 
the  destroyer,  could  not  save  himself.  Hering  cheerfully  passed 
away  as  one  conscious  of  having  dried  many  tears  and  of  having 
turned  sighs  into  joy. 

Who  of  all  the  thousands  that  remain  will  take  the  place  of 
this  fallen  chief,  this  great  and  good  “Master  of  Homoeopathy” 
in  America?  I can  say  to  every  brother  physician  and  to  every 
patient,  “I  have  lost  a teacher  to-day.” 


289 


Dr.  Ambrose  S.  Everett  then  said : 

I have  known  Dr.  Constantine  Hering,  whose  genius  and  whose 
life-work  they  meet  to-night  all  over  the  world  to  commemorate, 
personally  for  nearly  fifteen  years,  and  since  my  first  acquaintance 
with  this  Hercules  of  our  school  of  medicine,  I have  never 
allowed  myself  to  visit  Philadelphia  without  calling  upon  him. 

While  I do  not  now  realize  that  he  has  gone  from  the  scenes 
of  his  earthly  labors,  and  that  the  places  that  once  knew  him 
shall  know  him  no  more  forever,  yet  I have  no  doubt,  when  I 
come  to  visit  Philadelphia  again,  I shall  miss  him,  and  his  absence 
from  the  field  of  battle  and  the  bivouac  of  professional  life  will 
come  home  to  me  in  language  far  more  eloquent  and  pathetic 
than  I can  now  conceive  or  express.  Of  this  I can  assure  you, 
that  I never  called  upon  him  that  I did  not  find  him  the  same 
affable,  courteous,  and  hospitable  gentleman.  He  always  ad- 
dressed me  in  terms  of  respect,  and  in  language  that  showed  that 
I was  not  only  a welcome  guest  at  his  house,  but  that  he  bore  for 
me  an  affection  born  of  a true  and  lofty  manhood.  I have  also 
seen  him  entertain  others,  and  can  say  for  and  of  him  that  he 
always  made  his  visitors  feel  at  home,  and  all  that  he  had  in  the 
way  of  entertainment  was  theirs.  No  matter  how  young  or  hum- 
ble his  visitor  in  professional  rank,  that  visitor  was  made  to  feel 
before  he  left  that  in  Dr.  Hering’s  character  and  make-up  there 
was  no  such  thing  as  caste  or  rank.  In  manner  he  was  simple 
and  unostentatious.  He  never  paraded  his  knowledge  or  dis- 
played his  learning  for  the  mere  sake  of  show,  nor  did  he  try  to 
impress  one  with  the  greatness  of  his  character  or  genius. 

He  spared  no  pains  or  expense  in  showing  his  admiration  for 
and  his  attachment  to  his  medical  confreres. 

While  there  is  much  in  his  life  and  character  to  respect,  ad- 
mire, and  venerate,  yet  there  is  one  trait  that  strikes  me  with 
peculiar  interest,  and  that  is  his  life-long  devotion  to  a single 
object  and  a single  purpose.  This  trait  stands  out  more  boldly 
and  more  pronounced  than  all  others. 

19 


290 


What  he  accomplished  in  the  field  of  Materia  Medica  by  this 
oneness  of  aim  proves  that  the  first  great  law  of  success  is  con- 
centration. He  bent  all  his  energies  to  one  point,  went  directly 
to  that  point,  and  looked  neither  to  the  right  nor  left.  He  showed 
great  wisdom  in  daring  to  leave  many  things  unknown,  and  prac- 
tical common  sense  in  leaving  other  things  untouched.  If  I study 
this  trait  of  his  character  aright,  he  was  impressed  with  the  fact 
that  life  was  too  short  and  art  too  long  and  too  valuable  for  uni- 
versal scholarship.  The  range  of  medical  thought  and  knowl- 
edge is  so  vast  and  extensive  that  no  one  brain  can  encompass  it 
or  grapple  with  it  as  an  entirety.  Therefore,  if  we  would  know 
one  department  of  medicine  well  we  must  have  the  courage  to  be 
ignorant  of  some  others,  however  attractive  or  inviting  they  may 
appear.  If  we  would  succeed  as  did  Hering,  we  must  single  out 
our  specialty  and  pour  the  whole  stream  of  our  life  into  it.  No 
name  has  been  longer  or  more  intimately  connected  with  homoeo- 
pathic interests  and  homoeopathic  literature  than  that  of  our  de- 
ceased brother,  Hr.  Constantine  Hering.  Certainly  none  is  more 
widely  known,  more  generally  honored,  or  more  universally 
beloved. 

For  nearly  the  whole  period  of  his  life  he  has  devoted  and 
consecrated  all  the  energies  of  his  mind  and  body  to  the  unfold- 
ing of  homoeopathic  truth,  and  to  the  dissemination  and  elevation 
of  its  principles. 

Even  in  old  age  he  did  not  seek  the  rest  and  retirement  which 
his  years  justified  and  his  health  demanded.  But  he,  full  of 
love  for  and  devotion  to  his  chosen  school  of  medicine,  worked  on 
with  such  well-directed  zeal  as  to  merit  the  highest  respect  and 
admiration  of  all  succeeding  generations.  Although  dead,  he 
still  lives  in  the  books  and  works  which  he  has  left,  and  which 
are  ours  to  inherit  and  enjoy.  These  are  his  voice,  coming  to  us 
from  out  of  the  grave  of  the  past,  floating  on  the  tide  of  time, 
and  breathing  forth  the  fire  of  his  youth  and  the  wisdom  of  his 
riper  and  more  matured,  years. 


291 


Dr.  Piepgras,  of  Loveland,  then  made  the  following 
address : 

Providence  has  called  one  of  our  dearest  and  greatest  members 
to  eternity,  and  we  wish  to  express  the  deep  grief  which  wells  up 
from  the  depth  of  our  heart. 

The  name  of  Constantine  Hering  will  be  spoken  with  reverence 
by  every  true  homoeopath  down  to  remotest  time,  as  he  was  a 
champion  of  truth  in  medicine,  and  one  of  the  chief  pillars  of 
our  school  in  Europe  as  well  as  in  America.  I am  sure  every 
advocate  of  the  truths  of  Homoeopathy  will  love  his  memory 
until  he  joins  him  above. 

I never  enjoyed  the  honor  of  his  personal  acquaintance,  but 
knew  much  about  him  through  my  master,  Dr.  Arthur  Lutze, 
now  deceased,  and  also  by  his  writings. 

I may  be  permitted  to  mention  a little  anecdote,  which  may  be 
new  to  you,  and  will  give  a pleasant  remembrance  of  our  dear 
departed. 

“ Whilst  traveling  in  Germany,”  says  Dr.  Hering,  “ I one  day 
came  to  a village,  the  proprietor  of  which  invited  me  to  spend  the 
night  at  his  house,  in  place  of  putting  up  at  the  inn.  He  was  a 
rich  old  gentleman,  a great  original,  always  an  invalid,  having 
ennui  and  good  wine  to  a great  extent.  Learning  that  I was  a 
young  medical  man,  about  to  commence  my  travels,  he  told  me 
he  would  sooner  make  his  son  a hangman  than  a doctor.  On  my 
expressing  surprise  at  the  observation,  he  produced  a large  book, 
saying  that  it  was  now  twenty  years  since  he  first  became  ill  in 
body  but  not  in  mind ; that  two  doctors  of  celebrity,  whom  he 
then  consulted,  had  quarrelled  about  his  disease,  and  that,  con- 
sequently, he  had  employed  neither  of  them  nor  their  medicines, 
but  that  he  had  registered  the  affair  in  his  book.  Then,  after 
finding  that  the  disease  did  not  get  better,  he  set  out  on  his  travels, 
resolved,  if  he  could  find  three  doctors  who  'perfectly  agreed  upon 
his  case  without  any  hesitation,  to  allow  himself  to  be  treated  by 
them,  but  never  by  any  other.  For  this  purpose  he  had  consulted 


292 


at  first  all  physicians  of  any  reputation,  and  afterwards  others 
whose  names  were  less  known,  but  having,  in  spite  of  all  his 
sufferings,  never  abandoned  his  first  resolution,  and  keeping  an 
exact  account  of  every  consultation  in  a book  for  the  purpose,  he 
never  succeeded  in  finding  any  who  agreed  respecting  his  case. 
Accordingly,  not  having  followed  the  advice  of  any,  he  still 
remained  an  invalid,  but  he  was  still  alive.  As  may  be  well 
supposed,  the  book  cost  him  a pretty  sum  of  money. 

“ This  book  had  the  appearance  of  a ledger  in  large  folio,  and 
was  kept  in  the  form  of  tables.  In  the  first  column  were  the 
names  of  the  physicians,  amounting  to  477  ; in  the  second,  those 
of  the  disease,  with  explanations  concerning  its  nature,  of  these 
there  were  313,  differing  radically  from  each  other;  in  the  third 
column  were  the  remedies  proposed,  these  consisted  of  832  pre- 
scriptions, containing  in  all  1097  remedies.  The  sum  total  ap- 
peared at  the  end  of  each  page. 

“He  took  up  a pen,  and  said  cooly:  ‘Won’t  you  prescribe 
something  for  me?’  But  having  no  great  inclination  to  do  so,  I 
only  asked  if  Hahnemann  was  not  in  his  list.  With  a smile  he 
turned  to  No.  301,  name  of  the  disease  O,  remedy  prescribed  O. 
‘ That  was  the  wisest  of  the  lot,’  he  cried,  ‘ for  he  said  that  the 
name  of  the  disease  did  not  concern  him,  and  that  the  name  of 
the  remedy  did  not  concern  me,  but  that  the  cure  was  the  essen- 
tial point.’  ‘ But  why,’  I inquired,  ‘ did  you  not  allow  him  to 
treat  you  ? ’ ‘ Because,’  he  replied,  ‘ he  was  but  one,  and  I must 

have  three  who  agree.’ 

“ I asked  him  if  he  wrere  willing  to  sacrifice  some  hundred  francs 
for  an  experiment,  in  which  case  I should  be  able  to  mention  not 
three , but  thirty-three  physicians  living  in  the  neighborhood,  and 
in  countries  and  parts  of  the  world  widely  separate,  who  should 
all  be  of  one  opinion.  He  expressed  his  doubts,  but  at  the  same 
time  resolved  to  undertake  the  trial.  We  then  made  out  a de- 
scription of  his  symptoms,  and  when  the  copies  were  finished,  we 
sent  them  to  thirty-three  homoeopathic  practitioners.  He  in- 
closed a louis  d’or  in  each  letter,  begging  each  physician  to  name 


293 


the  remedies  which  were  capable  of  curing,  or  at  least  of  alle- 
viating his  disease. 

“A  short  time  since  I received  a cask  of  Rhenish,  of  the  vintage 
of  1822.  ‘ I send  you  wine  of  the  year  1822/  he  wrote,  ‘ because 

twenty-two  physicians  agreed  respecting  my  case.  I thereby 
perceive  that  there  is  certainty  in  some  things  in  this  world. 
I have  got  various  works  on  the  subject,  in  order  to  gain  in- 
formation upon  it.  Out  of  about  two  hundred  medicines,  twenty- 
two  physicians  have  fixed  upon  the  same  remedy.  One  could 
not  expect  more.  The  physician  nearest  me  has  got  me  under 
his  care,  and  I send  you  the  wine  that  I may  not  be  tempted  to 
drink  too  mucn  from  joy  at  seeing  my  health  improving  from  day 
to  day.’  ” 

Dr.  C.  N.  Hart  then  spoke  as  follows : 

Colleagues : — There  is  a beautiful  and  ancient  custom  in  the 
land  of  my  ancestors,  which  causes  each  person  upon  the  high- 
way to  uncover  the  head  as  a funeral  procession  passes,  whether 
the  deceased  is  known  or  not.  This  evening  we  with  thousands 
of  our  brethren,  of  all  schools,  assembled  in  all  parts  of  the 
world,  have  met  to  pay  a tribute  to  the  memory  of  a great  and 
good  man  who  has  passed  away — Dr.  Constantine  Hering. 

Let  us  rejoice  that  his  life  upon  earth  was  one  of  social  and 
intellectual  enjoyment,  and  that  upon  passing  onward  he  has  left 
us  and  future  generations  such  works  as  time  cannot  destroy. 

After  a long  period  of  the  highest  service  to  his  Maker  and 
mankind,  both  in  Germany  and  America,  he  has  passed  onward 
to  a higher  and  brighter  sphere,  “ ossa  bene  qui  encant.” 

In  the  words  of  the  great  and  lamented  Dunham,  the  study  of 
his  life  has  been  “ not  fabrics,  nor  wares,  nor  stocks,  the  works  or 
machinations  of  men,  but  the  noblest  of  God’s  creation — that 
which  He  made  in  His  own  image — the  body  and  mind  of  man.” 
He  was  to  both  old  and  young  kind  and  affectionate,  and  alike 
teacher  and  friend.  Envy  and  malice  had  no  part  in  his  career, 


294 


but  with  his  one  hand  as  an  index  pointing  onward  and  his  other 
as  a support  to  those  acquiring  knowledge,  he  lived  and  died. 
And  thus  may  all  strive  to  emulate  this  noble  man  who  lived  and 
died  in  love  and  honor. 

On  motion  the  meeting  was  adjourned. 


MEETING  IN  MINNEAPOLIS,  MINN. 

In  obedience  to  the  call  for  the  holding  of  a meeting 
in  memory  of  the  late  Constantine  Hering,  the  Hahne- 
mann Society  for  Hennepin  County,  Minnesota,  held  an 
adjourned  session  on  the  evening  of  October  10th,  1880. 
Dr.  William  E.  Leonard,  a graduate  of  the  Hahnemann 
Medical  College,  of  Philadelphia,  spoke  of  the  last  hours 
of  the  great  man  so  recently  departed,  and  related  many 
pleasant  and  touching  reminiscences  of  personal  inter- 
course with  him.  Subsequent  remarks  were  made  by 
others  present,  and  finally  Dr.  S.  P.  Starritt,  who  had 
been  appointed  for  this  duty,  made  the  following  address: 

It  is  customary  upon  the  death  of  an  individual,  however 
humble,  to  present  some  form  of  testimonial,  recounting  the  rela- 
tions of  the  deceased  to  society. 

Naturally,  the  more  noted  the  individual,  the  more  public  and 
demonstrative  the  tribute. 

The  idea  is  primitive  and  general.  We  see  it  among  even  sav- 
age and  barbarous  peoples,  where  skill,  courage  and  prowess  of 
the  fallen  is  cited  to  the  surviving  for  emulation,  and  as  special 
traits  of  distinction. 

Among  the  semi-barbarous  and  semi-civilized,  we  find  these 


* 


295 


relations  embodied  in  fervid  and  glowing  apostrophe,  the  lay  of 
the  minstrel,  the  rude  but  heroic  song. 

Among  civilized  and  cultivated  nations,  witness  the  sermons, 
biographies,  the  finished  and  studied  epic  verse,  “ the  towering 
monument,  sculptured  bust,  and  storied  urn.” 

To-night,  friends,  without  pomp,  we  come  in  an  humbler,  but 
no  less  sincere  way,  to  pay  our  tribute  to  the  life  and  services  of 
one  of  earth’s  greatest  sons,  who  has  recently  been  called  to 
another  home,  to  a higher  and  ampler  sphere. 

Abraham  was  accounted  worthy  to  be  called  the  “ Father  of 
the  Faithful,”  because  at  God’s  call  he  left  country,  kindred  and 
home,  to  go  into  a strange  land,  which  was  yet  to  be  shown  him, 
having  faith  in  Him  who  promised  that  he  was  to  be  the  “father 
of  a great  nation.” 

Him  whom  we  honor  to-night,  God  called  in  no  less  audible 
voice,  “ Get  thee  out  of'  thy  country,  and  from  thy  kindred,  and 
from  thy  father’s  house,  unto  a land  that  I will  show  thee,  and  I 
will  make  of  thee  a great  nation,  and  I will  bless  thee,  and  make 
thy  name  great.” 

The  lives  of  both  these  great  men  have  become  historic,  and 
history  has  but  proved  the  truth  of  prophecy. 

Father  Hering,  as  he  was  truthfully  and  affectionately  called 
by  a great  army  of  co-workers,  in  his  early  youth  was  taught  how 
to  think,  and  no  higher  encomium,  through  his  long  and  studious 
life,  could  be  found,  than  he  knows  how  to  think. 

Graduating  with  distinction  from  one  of  the  great  German 
Universities,  he  first  essayed  to  teach  mathematics,  but  a fond- 
ness or  an  instinct  for  medicine  led  him  to  acquire  what  was 
taught  in  the  schools. 

Like  all  men  of  great  force,  profound  convictions  and  energetic 
will,  he  espoused  the  established  and  so-called  “regular”  practice 
with  zeal,  and  was  wont  to  persecute  what  he  afterward  with 
great  zeal  embraced  and  advocated. 

From  the  versatility  of  his  acquirements  he  was  selected  by  his 
confreres  to  controvert  and  annihilate  a new  and  progressive  sys- 


296 


tem  of  healing,  which  was  forcing  its  way  into  public  recognition 
and  favor.  Investigation  led  to  wonder,  wonder  to  admiration, 
but  while  still  doubting  he  became  a sufferer,  and  after  trying 
the  appliances  of  the  old  system  without  relief,  he  sought  the 
new  and  was  healed.  Thus  through  suffering  did  he  become  a 
believer,  was  converted,  and,  after  practically  demonstrating  the 
truth  of  the  new  art,  he  became  the  great  apostle  of  Homoeopathy 
to  the  Gentiles. 

Eminent  for  his  attainments  in  science,  his  government  ap- 
pointed him  naturalist  of  a scientific  expedition  bound  for  the 
southern  continent  of  the  New  World. 

Ostracised  at  home  for  his  new  faith,  and  possessed  with  the 
divine  instinct  of  emigration,  he  eagerly  embraced  the  offer  ten- 
dered by  government,  and  with  the  characteristic  ardor  of  young 
manhood,  he  discharged  the  duties  to  which  he  was  assigned. 

Meanwhile,  not  content  with  the  knowledge  already  acquired 
by  the  New  School  of  Medicine  for  healing  the  sick,  he  began  to 
inquire  how  he  could  add  to  the  list  of  remedial  agents,  and  best 
disseminate  their  mode  of  application. 

While  rendering  signal  service  to  his  country,  he,  perhaps,  ren- 
dered his  greatest  service  to  mankind,  by  introducing  into  medi- 
cine, with  its  indications,  the  virus  of  the  Lachesis  trigonocepha- 
lus,  which,  from  its  healing  properties  in  the  hands  of  our  great 
army  of  practitioners,  has  become  one  of  the  greatest  of  our 
mighty  polychrests. 

On  his  return  home,  while  visiting  some  of  the  largest  cities  of 
the  North,  it  is  said  that  in  Philadelphia  he  received  the  diviner 
impulse,  which  led  him  to  conclude  that  there  was  indeed  the 
“promised  land.” 

The  Old  World  may  boast  that  it  gave  us  a Hering,  but  the 
New  World  can  reply,  not  so;  for  his  potentiality  only  became 
reality  under  the  inspiration  and  progressiveness  of  the  New. 
Here,  cut  off  from  the  peculiar  bent  of  the  European  mind  to 
follow  custom  and  precedent,  he  strikes  out  boldly  upon  a new 
course,  and  with  the  intrepidity  of  an  explorer  he  never  deviates, 


297 


but  so  amplifies  and  gives  so  many  fixed  and  reliable  data,  that 
it  makes  it  comparatively  easy  for  his  successors  to  follow  the 
same  route. 

There  is  ever  an  element  of  moral  courage  and  greatness  in 
those  who  discover  or  follow  new  truths  or  paths  of  which  the 
general  mind  is  ignorant.  The  investigator  is  always  a brave 
man,  and  full  of  the  spirit  of  sacrifice. 

History  is  full  of  the  sublime  examples  of  men  who  have 
breasted  the  tides  of  opposition  arising  from  ignorance,  supersti- 
tion, custom,  envy  and  malice,  in  giving  to  the  world  new  and 
progressive  ideas  and  truths.  History  has  also  given  these  men 
their  meed  of  praise,  has  placed  the  laurel  upon  their  brows,  and 
crowned  them  the  world’s  heroes. 

The  mind  sits  enchained  at  the  daring  and  hardihood  of  the 
navigator,  sailing  a new  and  unknown  expanse,  from  the  rugged 
Norsemen  of  earlier  times  down  to  those  of  the  present,  who  plow 
the  ice-floe  of  Arctic  seas.  The  blood  is  enkindled  at  Spartan  and 
Roman  heroism,  and  the  sanguinary  conflict  of  Dane,  and  Piet, 
and  Scot.  The  sublime  lessons  of  patience  are  taught  over  the 
achievements  of  Galileo,  Kepler,  Newton,  Faraday,  Miller,  Ful- 
ton, Morse,  and  hosts  of  others,  who,  through  great  toil,  have 
added  to  the  knowledge  of  Nature  and  her  slumbering  forces. 
What  monuments  shall  we  rear  to  the  world’s  martyrs  and  re- 
formers, who,  in  the  domain  of  moral,  civil,  and  religious  conflict, 
have  purchased  us  that  liberty  which  has  made  all  the  other 
achievements  of  men  possible  ? 

He  whom  cardiac  paralysis  has  just  stricken  down,  in  the  full 
splendor  of  his  hoary  age,  is  not  one  whit  behind  the  greatest  of 
those  to  whom  we  have  just  referred,  for  he  possessed  their  spirit, 
was  actuated  by  the  same  motives,  and  spent  his  life  in  the  same, 
or  a kindred  cause — the  amelioration  of  his  fellow-men. 

Though  not  the  Columbus  of  Homoeopathy,  he  followed  faith- 
fully the  chart  of  the  great  discoverer.  He  extended  and  ampli- 
fied in  almost  every  particular  the  boundaries  of  Hahnemann. 
He  confirmed  every  fact  that  Hahnemann  had  given  to  the  world 


298 


as  such,  while  the  theories  of  his  great  Master  he  tested,  and 
passed  upon  their  validity.  He  analyzed  and  systematized  where 
Hahnemann  had  only  generalized ; Hahnemann  introduced 
Homoeopathy,  hut  it  was  reserved  for  the  genius  of  Hering  to 
raise  it  to  the  sublime  degree  of  a distinctive  science.  Both  were 
great  and  original  explorers. 

It  has  been  indeed  always  the  pride  and  boast  of  Homoeopathy, 
that  it  is  invested  with  a gift  of  prevision,  that  is,  given  a picture 
of  a certain  malady,  the  remedy  is  at  once  forthcoming,  already 
provided.  The  only  limit  is  one — human  incapacity — inability 
to  prove  all  the  medicinal  agencies  of  nature,  and  to  retain  their 
special  therapeutic  range.  So  true  is  this  gift,  that  it  matters  not 
whether  the  disease  is  obscure  or  known,  or  whether  it  be  present 
or  remote.  Thus  Hahnemann  was  enabled  by  our  law  of  cure,  to 
point  out  remedies  curative  for  even  the  Eastern  Plague,  and 
robbed  it  of  its  terrors,  before  he  had  ever  seen  a case,  or  even  it 
had  spread  to  his  own  country.  In  like  manner  could  and  did 
Hering  for  our  Southern  Plague,  the  yellow  fever.  Both  these 
great  minds  went  further  than  this,  they  indicated  the  remedies 
preventive,  so  as  to  render  even  contagion  powerless. 

Come  now  and  admire  with  me  the  moral  courage  and  great- 
ness of  the  man  who,  from  adherence  to  known  law  and  princi- 
ples, not  only  called  down  upon  himself  the  odium  of  the  great 
minds  that  had  given  him  his  diversified  instruction,  and  from 
merit  has  elevated  him  to  confraternity,  but  also  in  his  emigra- 
tion to  the  New  World,  the  same  odium  precedes  and  attaches 
to  him,  emanating  from  kindred  sources.  The  Cholera  from  the 
distance  is  advancing,  and  Hering,  true  to  his  convictions,  points 
out  a simple  and  efficacious  prophylactic,  which  only  excited 
ridicule.  In  the  streets  of  his  own  chosen  city  and  home,  see  the 
rabble  and  street  Arabs  pursue  him  with  jeer  and  scoff,  prompted 
by  those  holding  the  same  distinguished  positions  as  those  who 
had  cast  him  off  in  the  Fatherland.  The  quiet  shrug,  or  the 
curious  look  of  the  more  cultivated  was  no  less  cruel  than  the 
open  scoff  of  the  slums.  But  the  fatal  scourge  is  come,  depopu- 


299 


lating  the  city,  and  “ Sulphur  Hering  ” is  remembered,  and  men 
now,  through  fear,  began  to  try  the  efficacy  of  wearing  a spoon- 
ful of  the  flour  of  sulphur  in  their  stockings,  and  received  immu- 
nity from  contagion. 

Friends,  it  requires  the  highest  order  of  both  physical  and 
moral  courage,  to  risk  life  calmly  in  trying  to  succor  others. 
Witness  the  heroic  act  of  a man  alone  in  a room,  whence  all  the 
attendants  had  fled,  with  a box  which  he  has  just  opened  contain- 
ing the  most  venomous  serpent,  the  largest  of  its  species,  from 
whose  glands,  after  the  most  mature  deliberation,  he  was  to  ab- 
stract the  deadly  poison.  See  the  nerve  of  the  man,  who,  alert 
as  is  the  snake,  seizes  it  just  below  the  head  with  firm  grasp,  when 
with  folds  uncoiled,  with  reared  head  and  flaming  eye,  forked 
tongue  and  naked  fang,  it  is  poised  to  strike  the  intrepid  soul  who, 
at  the  risk  of  life,  seeks  from  its  venom  the  healing  balm  for 
earth’s  sufferers.  Watch  him  adjust  the  pointed  stick  between 
the  opened  jaws  of  the  serpent  whose  bite  is  certain  death,  and 
whose  impotent  rage  secretes  the  deadly  saliva,  while  he  tanta- 
lizes it  till  it  can  distil  no  more  poison,  when  into  ajar  of  alcohol 
he  thrusts  the  monster,  nor  relaxes  his  grip  of  steel  till  life  is  ex- 
tinct. The  poison  caught  in  a glass  is  transferred  to  the  mortar 
and  rubbed  with  sugar  of  milk,  till  his  purple  and  bloated  face 
and  swimming  brain  suspend  his  eager  operation.  Observe  him 
toss  in  his  fever,  note  the  loquacious  delirium  as  he  flits  from  sub- 
ject to  subject,  note  the  suffocation,  the  frantic  struggle  for 
breath,  while  he  clutches  and  tears  from  throat  and  breast  all 
clothing ; mark  his  mental  condition,  the  anguish  and  apprehen- 
sion, and  ask  yourselves  for  whom,  for  what  does  he  this,  and 
then  answer — is  he  not  a hero  ? 

Or  friends,  can  you  imagine  the  sensation  of  being  in  a closed 
room  with  a rabid  dog,  bent  upon  getting  the  frothy  hydropho- 
binum,  for  the  sole  purpose  of  obtaining  a remedy  for  healing  the 
sick  ? How  would  you  characterize  the  act,  courageous  or  not  ? 

Does  it  not  exhibit  moral  heroism  to  assert  the  truth  of  a sci- 
entific fact  in  face  of  the  denial  of  the  entire  scientific  world  ? 


300 


Scientists  scoffed  at  the  idea,  that  the  poisons  he  procured  and 
proved  at  the  jeopardy  of  life,  had  any  remedial  efficacy,  because, 
forsooth,  they  had  been  preserved  in  alcohol ! “ Why,”  exclaim 

they,  “ we  drench  an  individual  with  whiskey  when  bitten  by 
the  crotalus,  and  it  antidotes  and  prevents  systemic  poisoning, 
and  saves  the  life  of  the  patient!”  Alcohol  antidotes  animal 
poison,  therefore  animal  poisons  preserved  in  alcohol  are  rendered 
harmless  and  inert,  and  from  the  deductions  of  such  logic  the 
world  hooted  at  his  provings  and  cures  produced  by  the  alcoholic 
preparations  of  his  animal  poisons,  most  notably  his  Lachesis,  of 
which  he  had  asserted  much.  But  he  was  patient,  knowing 
whereof  he  had  affirmed,  and  the  scientific  world,  after  experi- 
menting, demonstrated  that  the  hypodermic  injection  of  even  the 
third  centesimal  of  Lachesis,  and  even  the  still  higher  dilutions 
were  destructive  to  animal  life,  and  after  many  other  and  varied 
experiments,  it  was  publicly  acknowledged  that  Hering  was 
right,  that  animal  poisons  preserved  in  alcohol  held  still  their 
poisonous  qualities  intact. 

Again,  think  you  it  required  no  moral  back-bone  to  stand  by 
the  assertion  that  radiated  heat  was  one  of  the  most  efficient 
agencies  to  antidote  the  poison  of  wounds  whatever  their  origin, 
wThen  the  world  denied  and  disbelieved  ? Mark  the  courage  of 
the  test ! A man  with  an  inoculated  arm,  swollen,  purple,  throb- 
bing, painful,  threatening  the  loss  of  life,  will  not  listen  to  the 
voice  of  friends  and  the  surgeon,  but  sits  quietly  down  in  his 
kitchen,  and  thrusts  his  arm  into  the  heated  oven,  and  holds  it 
there  till  the  poison  is  extracted  or  eliminated,  and  the  member 
is  reserved  for  future  usefulness,  and  again,  the  world,  after  ex- 
perimenting, announces  that  radiated  heat  is  antidotal  to  poison- 
ous wounds.  Hering  was  right  again. 

Still  further,  witness  him  walk  with  quiet  dignity  into  the  sick 
room,  where  lies  a girl  in  throes  of  severest  agony,  after  the  ma- 
jor operation  of  lithotomy,  and  amid  the  sneers  of  the  operator 
and  other  distinguished  surgeons  summoned  in  consultation,  wTho 
had  signally  failed  to  mitigate  her  suffering,  and  had  given  her 


301 


over  to  the  king  of  terrors — see  him  solicit  symptoms  from  the 
sick,  and  from  his  inexhaustible  fund  of  knowledge,  watch  him 
pour  a few  pellets  of  Staphisagria  into  water  and  administer  it 
to  the  sufferer.  To  the  gratification  of  the  sick  one  and  her 
friends,  and  to  the  amazement  of  the  scoffers,  the  pain  is  miti- 
gated, finally  assuaged,  and  sleep  comes  gratefully  to  restore 
strength,  and  a precious  life  is  saved. 

These  are  but  a few  striking  instances  which  serve  to  illustrate 
the  timber  of  the  man  who,  by  courage  and  calm  demeanor  amid 
trying  scenes  and  sacrifices,  won  public  and  private  esteem,  when 
Homoeopathy  was  not  to  the  public  what  it  is  to-day,  and  forced 
the  popular  recognition  of  his  system  of  healing,  obtaining  for  it 
the  sanction  and  protection  of  the  civic  law. 

Now  it  is  comparatively  easy  for  the  practitioner  to  dispense 
the  blessings  of  an  enlightened  Homoeopathy,  but  what  do  we 
not  owe  to  Father  Hering,  who,  by  his  skill,  patience  and  learn- 
ing, and  above  all  moral  courage , overcame  the  poj3ular  ignorance 
and  prejudice,  so  that  it  has  passed  into  a proverb,  that  Homoe- 
opathy cannot  flourish  among  the  ignorant  and  unthinking,  but 
numbers  its  adherents  among  the  cultured,  thoughtful  and 
educated. 

As  a scholar  and  student  Hering  stands  unrivalled  in  his  time. 
He  was  authority  in  every  branch  of  medicine,  and  so  intimately 
was  he  acquainted,  not  only  with  medical,  but  kindred  sciences, 
that  his  thoughts  and  utterances  became  books.  His  habits  and 
methods  were  those  of  the  student.  Accustomed  to  rise  very 
early  in  the  morning,  at  three  o’clock,  he  was  wont  to  take  a 
slice  of  toast  and  a cup  of  coffee,  when  he  would  study  and  write 
till  breakfast,  at  nine.  After  breakfast  he  would  pursue  his 
studies  further,  and  attend  to  his  professional  duties  till  evening, 
when  he  would  either  pass  the  time  in  continued  study  or  con- 
verse with  those  w-ho  desired  instruction.  I believe  it  was  his 
custom  to  retire  about  nine  in  the  evening.  He  had  pre-emi- 
nently the  genius  for  hard  and  continuous  study,  and  this  sys- 
tematic and  arduous  course  he  pursued  up  to  the  time  of  his 
demise. 


302 


The  fruit  of  such  labor  is,  of  course,  voluminous,  and  it  is  by 
authorship  that  he  will  be  best  known  to  posterity.  He  is  the 
author  of  many  books  and  monographs,  and  all  of  them  are  the 
acknowledged  standards  of  our  school.  He  devoted  the  greater 
portion  of  his  studies  to  the  proving  of  drugs,  and  he  has  en- 
riched our  Materia  Medica  more  than  any  other  author,  Hahne- 
mann not  excepted.  His  Guiding  Symptoms  is  characteristic, 
and  no  such  full,  complete,  and  accurate  work  on  Materia 
Medica  was  ever  published.  He  esteemed  it  the  crowning  effort 
of  his  life.  It  is  the  fruit  of  advanced  age,  the  product  of  a 
long  life  of  rich  and  varied  experience,  united  with  the  most 
profound  research  and  learning. 

One  would  naturally  suppose  that  he  would  have  fallen  in 
with  the  prevailing  system  of  German  Philosophy,  and  that  his 
works,  like  those  of  Grauvogl,  would  have  been  tinctured  with 
theories  founded  upon  philosophical  speculation.  But  not  so. 
He  brought  everything  to  the  touchstone  of  scientific  experiment, 
and  he  was  wont  to  say,  “ There  is  no  such  thing  as  belief  in  sci- 
ence. A property  or  thing  is,  or  is  not.”  His  method  was  empir- 
ical, perhaps  sciential  would  be  the  better  word.  It  partook 
rather  of  the  inductive  system  of  philosophy  than  transcendental- 
ism. Transcendentalism  was  to  him  a horrible  word,  with  a pro- 
longed, rough,  guttural  roll  of  the  rrs. 

Everything  was  subjected  to  trial,  and  if  it  did  not  stand  the 
test  of  experiment,  did  not  prove  a literal  fact,  he  never  strove 
to  bolster  it  up  with  a more  plausible  theory,  but  cast  it  off  as 
one  would  a useless  garment. 

Just  a year  or  two  previous  to  death,  while  the  writer  with  a 
body  of  students  was  sitting  at  his  feet,  as  sat  Paul  at  the  feet  of 
Gamaliel,  he  remarked:  ‘‘Well,  gentlemen,  to-day  I have  lost 
one  of  my  best  beloved  children.  For  more  than  twenty  years  I 
have  been  collecting  facts  and  data  to  establish  a pet  theory  of 
mine,  and  I was  about  to  publish  and  give  the  results  to  the 
world,  when  to-day  I have  fully  decided  that  it  cannot  stand  the 
test  of  scientific  experiment,  and  so  I have  buried  it  out  of  my 


303 


sight.  Not  without  a pang,  gentlemen,  but  as  my  theory  is  not 
true,  that  is  the  end  of  it.” 

His  mind  was  both  analytical  and  synthetical.  He  was  a tall 
man,  sun-crowned  in  the  light  of  knowledge;  a man  of  capacious 
soul,  gigantic  brain,  an  intellect  of  colossal  proportions.  That 
which  seemed  veiled  to  other  men  was  to  him  luminous  with 
light.  In  his  capacious  mind  truth  alone  was  sought,  discovered, 
seized  upon,  made  incarnate  and  disseminated  over  sea,  island 
and  continent,  till  it  became  the  common  heritage. 

But  it  was  as  an  instructor  or  lecturer  that  he  surpassed  him- 
self. Brimful,  overflowing  with  knowledge,  he  was  just  as  eager 
to  impart  as  to  acquire.  Give  him  respectful  attention,  and  he 
would  forsake  every  other  duty  and  proceed  to  talk  or  lecture 
without  note  of  time,  and  I assure  you  he  was  as  tireless  as  time 
itself.  He  has  been  known  to  forget  fatigue  and  rest  and  sit  up 
all  night  to  instruct  some  practitioner  who  wished  either  to  be 
led  into,  or  receive  more  light  in  the  sublime  degrees  of  Homoe- 
opathy. Even  in  the  last  years  of  his  life  his  eye  would  kindle 
in  the  presence  of  a body  of  students,  his  mind  unfold  and  truth 
would  come  forth  robed  in  beauty,  and  not  till  the  long  hours 
were  passed  and  even  not  then,  unless  solicited  to  cease  and  rest, 
would  he  think  of  retiring.  The  totality  of  the  symptoms  and 
the  single  remedy  corresponding  to  that  totality  were  his  two 
watchwords. 

He  was  a kind  and  affectionate  father  and  husband,  a good 
citizen,  but  a citizen  of  no  particular  country.  He  owed  alle- 
giance to  the  world. 

More  given  to  imparting  knowledge  and  ameliorating  the 
sufferings  of  the  race  than  to  the  acquirement  of  wealth,  he  laid 
up  for  himself  the  true  riches.  He  achieved  more  than  fame — he 
was  great.  His  kind  and  beneficent  deeds,  the  truths  he  dis- 
covered and  established,  the  sacrifices  he  made  and  his  arduous 
toil,  guide  us  in  the  divine  art  of  healing. 

He  died  full  of  years,  honored  and  respected  by  even  his  ad- 
versaries. A long  life  of  usefulness  has  been  spent.  We  are 


304 


fatherless.  His  sun  is  but  set  to  us,  only  to  rise  and  shine  with 
greater  and  undimmed  lustre  in  a fairer  and  boundless  horizon. 

Truly  of  him  it  can  be  said  in  the  language  of  old:  “And 
thou  shalt  be  a blessing,  and  in  thee  shall  all  the  families  of  the 
earth  be  blessed.” 

Friends,  the  unfolding  of  the  prophetic  scroll  shall  fully  estab- 
lish history,  for  already  has  he  become  the  “father  of  a great 
nation.” 


MEMORIAL  ADDRESS  TO  KANSAS  PHYSICIANS. 

The  following  address  was  read  at  a meeting  of  the 
physicians  of  Kansas,  at  Topeka,  by  Dr.  Henry  W.  Roby : 

Friends: — There  is  a pause  in  our  labors;  a break  in  our 
ranks ; a shade  on  the  Stygian  river.  Constantine  Hering,  the 
pupil  and  intimate  friend  of  Hahnemann ; the  venerable  Nestor 
of  Homoeopathy  in  America ; the  unrivalled  scholar,  philosopher 
and  author  in  the  new  school  of  medicine ; the  most  successful 
practitioner,  and  the  ablest  medical  counselor  of  this  age,  has 
gone  to  his  final  rest  at  the  mature  age  of  eighty-one  years.  And 
yet,  as  was  said  of  the  great  statesman  Thiers,  “He  died  too 
young  by  a score  of  years.” 

Like  Goethe’s,  his  grandest  works  were  his  last.  His  massive 
brain  and  untiring  hands  had  nearly  finished  the  crowning  glory 
of  his  life-work — the  most  masterly  piece  of  medical  authorship 
ever  given  to  the  world. 

Like  the  immortal  Lincoln,  he  died  before  God  or  circum- 
stances had  created  a successor  large  enough  to  fill  his  place  in 
the  world.  But  nature  is  rich  in  compensatory  laws.  The 
cause  which  creates  a great  leader,  like  a Luther,  a Bonaparte, 
a Thiers,  a Bismarck,  a Washington,  a Lincoln,  or  a Hahnemann 
in  one  age  or  generation,  will  be  carried  forward  through  the 
succeeding  ages  or  generations  by  their  disciples  and  followers. 


305 


A great  leader  in  the  cause  of  the  twin-sisters,  humanity  and 
Homoeopathy,  has  but  recently  died  in  Philadelphia,  and  to-day 
physicians  by  thousands  and  their  patrons  by  millions,  scattered 
all  over  the  world,  sincerely  mourn  his  death.  But  there  is  left 
to  us  this  consolation  that  the  cause  which  he  led  is  strong 
enough  at  his  death,  and  well  enough  officered,  to  march  steadily 
forward  to  final  and  glorious  triumph,  without  the  further  in- 
spiration of  a great  individual  leadership.  So,  a detachment 
buries  the  fallen  leader  and  decorates  his  grave,  while  the  great 
army  marches  on  without  halting,  for  the  cause  is  greater  than  the 
leader . 

As  inductive  philosophy  no  longer  needs  a Lord  Bacon  for 
leader,  or  astronomy  a Galileo  or  Copernicus,  so  Homoeopathy  no 
longer  needs  the  personal  inspiration  of  Hahnemann,  its  original 
grand  master  in  Europe,  or  Hering,  his  co-laborer  in  America. 
It  now  marches  steadily  onward  to  the  drum-beat  of  principle 
under  the  inspiration  of  a demonstrated  and  ever  demonstrable 
truth.  Whenever  truth  involves  enough  of  human  interest  to 
start  it  on  its  march  around  the  world,  if  it  does  not  find  in 
waiting  a man  sufficiently  large  for  a captain-general,  it  takes 
one  from  the  common  walks  of  life  and  enlarges  him  sufficiently 
for  the  great  work  of  leadership. 

And  Nature  seems  to  have  no  regular  rule  for  the  choice  of 
men  for  leaders.  She  takes  a tinker,  a printer,  a cobbler,  a,  rail- 
splitter,  a tanner,  or  a student,  and  so  sharpens  his  vision  that 
he  can  see  the  new  truth  which  is  marching  along  through  his 
day  and  generation,  so  enlarges  his  intellect  that  he  can  grasp 
and  hold  the  truth,  and  so  shapes  and  energizes  his  tongue  and 
pen  that  he  can  show  to  the  world  the  strength  and  beauty  of  the 
principle  he  has  apprehended,  and  its  correlations  to  other  great 
truths  in  the  world.  In  one  case  she  takes  a mechanic,  puts  him 
into  a bath-tub  which  overflows,  and  he  straightway  leaps  out 
and  cries  “Eureka!  Eureka!”  In  another  she  leads  a dreamer 
into  an  orchard  and  drops  an  apple  at  his  feet,  and  in  the  light 
of  that  falling  apple  he  finds  the  law  of  gravity. 

20 


. 306 


She  takes  a school-master  of  Padua,  sets  him  “star-gazing,”  and 
his  trembling  tongue  informs  an  astonished  world  that  all  the 
heavenly  bodies,  our  earth  included,  are  wheeling  through  im- 
mense orbits  in  immeasurable  space  and  also  revolving  on  their 
own  axes.  And  thus  the  science  of  astronomy  is  born  even 
under  the  shame  and  humiliation  of  a compulsory  recantation. 
Again,  nature  takes  a poor  humble  student,  leads  him  along  the 
old  paths  of  knowledge,  through  the  labyrinthine  mysteries  and 
utter  chaos  of  old  medicine,  and  then  leads  him  on  into  that 
clearer  light  which  gives  the  world  a scientific  and  perfect  guide 
to  the  choice  of  drugs  for  the  cure  of  disease.  And  then  she 
crowns  him  with  leadership  in  a grand  reformation  of  a great 
human  cause. 

And  thus,  through  the  long  reach  of  ages,  one  human  interest 
after  another,  one  great  fact  or  truth  or  principle  after  another 
is  developed  and  established  in  the  minds  and  lives  of  men,  of 
communities  and  races. 

But  Nature  seems  to  be  never  in  haste.  It  took  twenty-two 
hundred  years  of  the  slow  coaching  of  old  medicine  to  develop  a 
Harvey  and  establish  in  the  minds  of  men  the  fact  of  the  cir- 
culation of  blood  in  the  human  organism.  And  it  took  almost 
two  centuries  longer  to  develop  and  establish  nature’s  law  of 
drug-action  on  the  human  system,  and  to  give  the  world  the  law 
of  cure.  The  very  discovery  of  that  law  had  to  wait  for  the  dis- 
covery and  development  of  inductive  philosophy , for  only  by  its 
processes  could  the  law  of  cure  be  discovered  and  fully  demon- 
strated. But  that  law  is  now  incontestably  established  on  an 
absolutely  scientific  basis,  and  to-day  it  challenges  all  the  sci- 
entific tests  known  to  men  to  disprove  its  correctness.  And 
Hahnemann,  its  real  discoverer,  and  Hering,  its  wise  elabora- 
tor,  can  be  and  are  both  called  from  labor  to  rest.  For  years 
the  profession  has  watched  with  eager  eyes  the  progress  of  Hr. 
Hering’s  life-work  almost  in  fear  and  trembling,  lest  he  should 
not  live  to  complete  it.  But  life  held  on  its  course,  and  the 
indefatigable  worker  through  days  and  nights  and  years  of  in- 


307  • 


cessant  study  and  toil  brought  the  work  nearer  and  nearer  to 
completion.  And  when  at  last  his  work  was  done,  his  manu- 
scripts completed  and  the  press  began  to  turn  out  his  volumes, 
the  fiat  of  “well  done”  was  issued  from  on  high,  and  he  was 
suddenly  called  away  from  his  proof-sheets  to  his  everlasting  rest. 

Others  could  read  the  proof,  and  he  was  spared  that  labor. 
His  work  was  done.  But  he  had  lived  to  write  the  master  medical 
work  of  the  world , which  will  soon  issue  from  the  press,  fitly 
named  “ Guiding  Symptoms.” 

Unlike  the  “ Mystery  of  Edwin  Drood,”  the  hand  of  its  creator 
guided  the  pen  to  the  end  of  its  last  chapter,  though  proof-readers, 
pressmen  and  bindera  have  their  work  still  to  perform. 

Homoeopathy,  under  the  leadership  of  Hahnemann  and  Hering, 
reinforced  by  an  already  grand  army  of  coadjutors,  has  wrought 
a grand  and  beneficent  reform  in  medicine,  and  conferred  ines- 
timable blessings  on  the  world.  It  no  longer  needs  any  champion 
defenders.  It  is  a great  and  well  established  fact  in  the  world. 
It  has  already  become  aggressive,  has  changed  the  field  of  con- 
flict and  the  front  of  battle,  has  carried  the  contest  into  the 
enemy’s  country  and  put  gouty  old  medicine  on  the  defensive, 
and  compelled  it  to  adopt  so  many  changes  and  improvements 
and  to  abandon  so  many  barbarities  and  cruel  and  dangerous 
devices  in  its  methods,  that  could  Galen,  Paracelsus,  Hippo- 
crates, Paris,  Cullen  or  Sydenham  be  called  from  their  graves 
to-day,  they  would  have  a thousand-fold  more  trouble  to  recog- 
nize their  disciples  than  did  Kip  Van  Winkle  to  recognize  his 
daughter  or  his  dog  after  his  twenty  years  of  sleep.  Hahnemann 
and  his  followers  have  achieved  a deeper  and  broader  and 
sounder  knowledge  of  Materia  Medica  in  the  past  eighty  years 
than  old  physic  has  done  in  eighteen  centuries. 

Still  the  world  moves,  and  even  now  the  sleepy  disciples  of 
Galen  are  waking  up  and  announcing  with  a great  flourish  of 
trumpets  to  the  world  as  new  discoveries  in  medicine,  facts  which 
Hahnemann  announced  over  eighty  years  ago. 

Fortunately  the  w7orld  is  already  astir  in  all  the  great  camp- 


308 


ing  grounds  of  philosophy,  science,  art,  theology,  law  and  medi- 
cine; it  is  waking  up  the  Rip  Van  Winkles  all  along  the  line, 
and  demanding  of  them  more  intelligent  and  scientific  methods, 
more  light  and  better  results.  And  when  the  masses  demand 
better  lawyers,  better  preachers,  better  doctors  and  more  intelli- 
gent methods,  the  demand  is  sure  to  be  responded  to.  If  the 
people  demand  better  qualities  of  books,  of  food,  of  raiment,  of 
merchandise,  there  will  not  be  long  wanting  live  merchants  and 
tradesmen  who  will  find  or  create  a way  to  supply  the  demand. 

A hundred  years  ago  there  went  up  from  an  already  long- 
suffering  humanity  a cry  for  release  from  old  medical  supersti- 
tions and  barbarities,  and  for  the  introduction  of  a more  humane 
and  scientific  medicine,  one  that  could  give  a reason,  not  only 
for  its  existence,  but  its  methods,  and  already  the  whole  medical 
world  (the  most  superstitious  of  all  worlds)  is  revolutionized, 
and  half  a million  of  active  brains  and  busy  hands  are  toil- 
ing eagerly  to  fulfil  the  demand  of  humanity.  Many  of  them 
are  among  the  old  sleepers,  and  we  see  almost  daily  some  of 
them  rubbing  the  scales  from  their  eyes,  dropping  their  shackles 
of  prejudice  and  coming  to  the  front  and  joining  the  ranks  of 
Homoeopathy.  Order  is  being  evolved  out  of  chaos,  system  out 
of  confusion,  light  out  of  darkness,  and  the  cry  of  the  world  for 
a safe  and  wise  medical  system  is  receiving  its  answer. 

Let  the  good  work  go  on,  and  when  a veteran  and  hero  finishes 
his  work  and  is  given  his  eternal  leave  of  absence  from  our  ranks, 
there  will  be  a hundred  willing  hands  and  heroic  hearts  to  take 
up  and  carry  on  the  great  work.  Let  us  one  and  all  make  and 
hold  ourselves  competent  and  ready  to  take  up  and  carry  on 
successfully  any  part  of  the  great  work  that  circumstances  or 
Providence  may  assign  to  us. 


309 


MEETING  IN  WILMINGTON,  DELAWARE. 

A memorial  meeting  in  honor  of  the  decease  of  Dr. 
Constantine  Hering  was  held  in  the  city  of  Wilmington, 
Delaware,  on  October  10th,  1880,  at  which  Dr.  A.  Negen- 
dank  read  the  following  address: 

Gentlemen : — While  we  are  here  to-day  assembled,  represent- 
ing the  homoeopathic  physicians  of  the  State  of  Delaware,  to  share 
in  the  general  respect,  and  to  show  our  high  esteem  to  the  de- 
parted master  spirit  of  Constantine  Hering,  in  honoring  him  I 
feel  that  we  are  conferring  honor  to  ourselves,  being  followers 
of  the  same  principle  in  medicine — “ Similia  similibus  curantur” 
— that  our  deceased  veteran  ever  defended,  and  to  the  eluci- 
dation of  which  he  devoted  a large  portion  of  a long  life  of 
eighty  years.  Dr.  Hering  was  a man  sui  generis,  far  above  the 
groveling  propensities  of  ordinary  human  nature  ; he  forgot  in 
his  devotion  to  science,  the  entity  of  worldly  existence,  for  which 
so  many  toil.  Our  profession  has  always  claimed,  not  for  the  in- 
dividual, but  for  the  body  collective,  a high  standard  of  honor 
and  unselfishness,  a position  above  those  who  know  less  of  the 
frailties  of  humanity.  Let  every  one  judge  for  himself  if  he  de- 
serves such  a claim  or  not,  but  I say  it  without  hesitation,  our 
departed  friend  deserved  that  claim,  and  I believe  him  to  have 
been  the  high  priest  of  his  profession. 

There  are  men  who  seem  to  be  sent  into  this  world  for  purposes 
and  action  only.  All  their  faculties  are  bent  to  toil  and  work  : 
their  spirits  and  their  frames  alike  teem  with  energy.  They  pause 
and  slumber  like  other  men,  but  only  to  recruit  from  actual  fa- 
tigue ; they  occasionally  need  quiet,  though  only  as  invigoration 
for  renewed  exertion  ; they  investigate  and  reflect ; their  mission, 
their  enjoyment,  the  object  and  condition  of  their  existence,  is 
work ; they  would  not  be  content  to  exist  here  without  it,  and  can- 
not conceive  another  life  as  desirable  without  it.  Their  vitality  is 


310 


beyond  that  of  ordinary  men;  they  are  never  seen  idle;  in  re- 
pose they  dream  of  work,  and  their  pleasure  is  work. 

A few  years  before  his  death,  on  a warm  summer  day,  hot 
enough  to  lull  the  energy  of  the  youngest,  while  sitting  in  his 
arm-chair  smoking  a cigar  and  sipping  his  cup  of  coffee,  the  ven- 
erable old  gentleman  was  overcome  by  fatigue,  and  rousing  him- 
self from  slumber  exclaimed : “ If  it  was  not  for  the  work  begun, 
and  the  completion  of  which  rests  upon  me,  the  frail  and  weary 
body  might  wish  to  be  at  rest.”  Such  a man  was  our  highly  es- 
teemed and  distinguished  Hering. 

I had  the  privilege  to  live  with  the  doctor  for  several  years, 
as  his  assistant,  and  there  is  not  a day  of  that  time  that  I cannot 
recall  with  pleasant  remembrance ; at  his  frugal  table  he  was 
cheerful,  conversational  and  instructive,  never  dictatorial,  always 
pleased  to  receive.  If  it  was  upon  any  subject  with  which  he 
was  not  as  familiar  as  the  speaker,  he  would  listen  with  grave 
attention,  and  a pleasant  sparkle  of  the  eye  would  indicate  his 
gratification  to  learn.  Humble  people  were  cheerfully  enter- 
tained at  his  hospitable  table,  and  the  kindest  attention  and  re- 
spect were  shown  them  by  the  doctor,  as  well  as  by  Mrs.  Hering. 
If  friends  happened  in  in  the  evening,  before  the  doctor  retired 
to  his  study,  he  was  always  ready  for  a social  chat,  full  of  good 
humor  and  wit.  A cigar,  rye  bread,  a piece  of  Swiss  cheese,  a 
glass  of  claret,  and  plenty  of  time  in  prospect  would  furnish  ma- 
terial for  an  enjoyable  evening.  But  if  our  venerable  sage  came 
home  overworked  and  fatigued,  he  preferred  to  be  undisturbed, 
and  retired  to  his  study  where  quiet  reigned,  there  to  be  in  com- 
pany with  his  books  or  pen. 

To  the  young  man  he  was  full  of  encouragement ; enthusiastic 
in  showing  him  the  way  that  would  be  sure  to  lead  him  to  suc- 
cess ; never  oppressing  him  with  his  store  of  knowledge  or  learn- 
ing, but  ready  to  give  to  the  fullest  extent,  all  that  he  judged  his 
hearer  capable  of  receiving.  A faint  smile  would  probably  be 
all  the  censure  bestowed  on  a weak  effort  in  literature ; but  for 
an  able  antagonist  he  had  voluminous  ammunition  for  battle,  in- 


311 


eluding  a fair  quantity  of  grape  shot.  A good  jest,  even  if  it  was 
at  his  own  expense,  or  even  against  Homoeopathy,  he  relished, 
but  a cold  or  wilful  expression  against  the  sacred  truth  of  Ther- 
apeutics he  considered  unpardonable.  After  the  death  of  Dr. 
Watzke,  in  1867,  I expressed  my  regret  at  losing  such  an  able 
colleague  from  our  ranks ; he  knit  his  brow  and  answered : “ I 
am  not  at  all  sorry ; a man  who,  after  finding  the  truth,  can  say 
that  he  is  sorry  for  it,  ought  to  die.” 

The  patience  of  Dr.  Hering  in  listening  to  the  endless  narra- 
tion of  a patient  afflicted  with  a chronic  disorder,  was  remark- 
able, and  you  might  have  thought  the  day  of  our  master  had  no 
end,  or  that  he  had  only  the  one  patient  to  attend.  The  restless- 
ness of  all  who  were  waiting  for  him  in  the  office,  did  not  in  the 
least  disturb  him ; they  might  wait,  or  go  home  to  come  back 
another  time.  He  did  not  believe  in  hurry,  and  often  said,  “No 
one  is  in  a hurry  but  the  devil.” 

Dr.  Hering  was  a power,  but  what  was  that  power?  Was  it 
his  learning?  no  doubt  it  was  a part  of  it.  Was  it  his  indus- 
try ? no  doubt  it  was  a part  of  it.  But  the  great  lever  of  his 
power  was  his  character.  He  was  modest,  kind  and  open-hearted. 
Integrity  and  honor  w'ere  his  beacon-lights ; he  was  a man  in  whom 
there  was  no  guile.  I may  be  asked  by  some  of  our  friends,  did 
our  sage  never  get  out  of  humor,  or  could  he  not  scold  ? I am 
frank  to  say,  that  he  could  get  out  of  humor  and  scold  too.  Tell 
him  that  he  promised  so  and  so,  and  you  were  sure  to  put  him  in 
bad  humor  ; it  was  specially  distasteful  to  his  feelings,  as  a doubt 
against  his  honest  character.  “ No,  sir ; I never  promise,  never, 
never ; no  one  promises  but  the  old  Nick,  and  he  never  keeps  a 
promise.”  He  had  his  own  fashion  of  scolding,  and  it  was  in  full 
earnest,  but  never  to  hurt  anyone,  as  he  was  always  careful  not 
to  let  its  force  descend  directly  upon  the  subject  who  had  offended. 

One  stormy  winter  night,  the  coachman  awaited  the  doctor  at 
the  house  of  a friend  where  he  was  calling,  and  had  become  so 
interested  in  conversation  that  driver,  horses,  and  the  storm  were 
alike  forgotten.  About  ten  o’clock,  John,  not  feeling  very  com- 


312 


fortable  on  his  box,  and  perhaps  thinking  the  doctor  might  have 
given  him  the  slip  by  a side  door,  drove  away  to  the  stable.  The 
old  gentleman  returned  shortly  after  on  foot,  naturally  out  of 
humor,  and  John  was  soon  hacked  to  pieces,  hundreds,  thousands, 
tens  of  thousands  of  pieces,  roasted,  fried  and  baked,  the  pan  to 
be  emptied  out  of  the  third  story  window  into  the  dark,  cold  night. 
All  this  time  John  slept  soundly  in  his  warm  bed,  and  never 
heard  anything  of  these  maledictions. 

Dr.  Hering’s  standing  as  a scientist,  skilfulness  as  a physician, 
his  special  love  and  labor  as  a Therapeutist,  I shall  pass  by  in 
silence,  knowing  full  well  that  ample  justice  will  be  done  him  this 
day  by  our  fraternity.  Ages  to  come  will  appreciate  his  labor, 
which  was  to  free  medicine  and  the  medical  profession  from  that 
vortex  of  endless  speculation  in  Therapeutics  which  has  been  a 
labyrinth  as  old  as  the  history  of  medicine.  The  work  of  build- 
ing up  a true  temple  of  science  kept  the  tools  of  our  master  ma- 
son bright.  He  was  industrious  to  the  last  breath  of  his  life, 
when  kind  Nature’s  signal  called  him  for  retreat. 

In  love,  to  the  memory  of  the  departed,  I give  these  few  out- 
lines of  his  character. 


MEETING  IN  WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 

The  following  preamble  and  resolutions  were  adopted 
at  a meeting  of  the  Homoeopathic  Medical  Society,  held 
on  October  10th,  1880,  in  commemoration  of  the  death 
of  Constantine  Hering,  M.D. : 

When  a man  like  Constantine  Hering  is  removed  from  this 
life,  it  is  fitting  that  we,  his  colleagues,  should  place  upon  record 
our  appreciation  of  his  eminent  qualities  as  a man  and  physi- 
cian ; not  that  it  adds  anything  to  the  beauty  of  his  memory, 
but  for  ourselves,  that  we  may  be  stimulated  anew  to  follow  his 
example. 


313 


Although  his  investigations  of  Homoeopathy  were  undertaken 
for  the  purpose  of  destroying  the  heresy,  he  accepted  fully  the 
truths  which  were  demonstrated  by  his  experiments,  though  con- 
trary to  his  preconceived  ideas.  The  truth  of  the  law  of  similars 
once  proven  to  him,  in  spite  of  all  opposition  he  became  a pio- 
neer in  the  cause,  and  suffered  privations  and  persecutions  such 
as  are  measured  to  all  who  dare  to  think  in  advance  of  the  time. 
His  labors  in  the  cause  were  unselfish  to  the  sacrifice  of  all 
wordly  interests,  and  unceasing.  He  established  the  first  ho- 
moeopathic college;  the  first  homoeopathic  pharmacy  was  opened 
through  his  influence,  and  to  him  we  owe  the  first  translation  of 
Homoeopathic  Materia  Medica  into  English.  He  has  made 
Philadelphia  a Mecca  from  which  his  influence  has  extended 
over  the  whole  world. 

While  attacking  with  relentless  power  what  he  believed  to  be 
error,  he  was  free  from  professional  jealousies  and  always  gave 
honor  where  honor  was  due;  his  was  the  fraternal  spirit  of  a 
gentleman,  a Christian,  and  a scientist.  * He  realized  in  his  devo- 
tion to  Homoeopathy,  that  with  everything  to  gain  in  the  contest 
with  error,  our  cause  could  not  afford  to  be  weakened  by  con- 
troversies on  non-essential  questions.  He  desired,  in  the  presence 
• of  a common  enemy,  a brotherhood  that  would  ensure  at  last,  a 
, common  victory;  to  this  end  he  contributed  much  by  his  charity, 

’ kindliness  and  cheerful  disposition,  which  called  out  the  ven- 
eration of  young  practitioners  who  were  so  fortunate  as  to  come 
in  contact  with  him ; his  genial  spirit  gave  him  a perennial  youth 
which  made  it  impossible  that  he  should  die  of  old  age. 

He  gave  most  freely  of  the  results  of  his  labors ; his  heart  was 
open  to  every  one  who  knocked  at  its  door  in  the  search  for 
truth.  Few  knew  of  his  labors  and  sacrifices  for  the  cause. 
We  are  greatly  indebted  for  his  numerous  provings  of  remedies 
and  especially  for  the  introduction  and  development  of  Apium 
virus  and  Lachesis. 

But  brightest  above  all,  and  including  all,  is  the  example  of 
his  long,  noble  and  active  life,  devoted  to  the  last  moment  to  the 
service  of  his  fellow  men ; — 


314 


Therefore,  the  members  of  the  Washington  Homoeopathic 
Medical  Society  can  but  express  their  sorrow  for  their  great 
loss ; and,  while  bowing  to  the  dispensation  of  an  All-Wise  God, 
would  consecrate  themselves  anew  to  greater  devotion  to  the 
cause  which  was  so  dear  to  him,  and  to  the  imitation  of  his 
shining  example. 

To  his  wife  and  children  we  extend  our  deepest  sympathy, 
and  the  assurance  that  we  mourn  with  them  their  loss  of  hus- 
band, father  and  friend. 


MEETING  IN'  SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN. 

At  a meeting  of  physicians  and  laymen  of  Schleswig- 
Holstein,  held  October  10th,  1880,  at  the  residence  of  Herr 
Billerbeck  in  Wilster,  the  exercises  consisted  of  the  fol- 
lowing : 

1.  £rauer=2Beife  non  £rauttenfel3. 

2.  Prolog,  gefprod)en  non  grt.  SBoge. 

3.  greunbe  fcfymudt  be§  9Jleifter§  §aupt,  non  Dr.  3Jloffa. 

4.  $rof.  Dr.  (L  Bering’s  28irfen  in  2!merifa  unb  £>eutfd)lanb. 

SSortrag  non  Dr.  2Berner. 

5.  @3  toirb  bereinft  bie  Dtfadjroelt  Slattern  2C.,  non  2.  gaunt!. 

6.  $8!au — 2Beij3 — ©olb.  SSortrag. 

7.  £)er  6djmer§en§fd)ret  au§  a!!en  Ccfen.  ©in  $olfs>lieb  mit  fyomoo= 

patfyifdjen  9tanbgetd)nungen.  33on  $rof.  Dr.  §ering.  Dr. 
2Berner. 

8.  ©ddufhnort. 


MEETING  IN  PARIS,  FRANCE. 

An  account  of  the  proceedings  of  the  memorial  meeting 
held  in  Paris,  France,  is  copied  from  the  Bibliotheque 
Homoeopathiqne : 


315 


La  fatale  nouvelle  venait  a peine  de  se  r6pandre  dans  Phila- 
delphie  que  le  fils  de  notre  confrere,  M.  Heermann,  en  informait 
son  pere  par  le  t61egraphe.  Le  secretaire-general  de  la  Societe 
hahnemanienne  federative  comprit  aussitot  que  les  homoeopathes 
fran§ais  devaient  rendre  un  hommage  public  et  collectif  a ce 
veteran  de  l’homoeopathie,  a celui  qui,  depuis  Hahnemann,  avait 
le  plus  enrichi  la  Matiere  medicale.  Aussi  il  invita  sans  plus 
tarder  tous  nos  confreres  presents  a Paris  a se  reunir  chez  lui  le 
31  juillet  1880,  pour  aviser  au  meilleur  moyen  d’honorer  la 
memoire  de  ce  grand  bienfaiteur  de  l’humanite.  La  plupart  des 
membres  de  la  Societe  hahnemanienne  federative  furent  exacts 
au  rendez-vous  et  la  seance  fut  ouverte  a 9 heures  du  soir,  sous  la 
presidence  de  M.  Leboucher.  M.  Love,  vice-president  de  la  So- 
ciete homoeopathique  de  France,  et  M.  Cramoisy,  etaient  au 
n ombre  des  assistants. 

M.  Heermann,  apres  un  court  eloge  d’Hering,  expose  l’objet  de 
la  reunion.  Ensuite  chacun  emet  son  avis  et  F on  adopte  a l’un- 
animite  les  deux  resolutions  suivantes : 

1.  Une  lettre  de  condoleance  sera  adressee  a Mme.  veuve 
Hering  et  signee  non-seulement  par  tous  les  membres  presents, 
mais  aussi  par  le  plus  grand  nombre  possible  de  medecins  homoe- 
opathes  actuellement  a Paris. 

2.  M.  Heermann,  en  qualite  d’ami  d’Hering,  est  charge  d’ecrire 
son  eloge  avec  tous  les  developpements  que  comporte  l’importance 
de  ses  travaux. 

Voici  le  texte  de  la  lettre  qui  a ete  redigee  et  signee  sur-le- 
champ : 

Madame : — 

Les  medecins  homoeopathes  fra^ais  soussignes  viennent  vous 
dire  toute  la  part  qu’ils  prennent  a votre  juste  douleur.  La  mort 
du  Hr.  Hering  est  la  plus  grande  epreuve  que  Fhomceopathie  ait 
eprouvee  depuis  longues  annees.  Aucun  de  nous  n’oublie  les 
services  rendus  a notre  ecole  par  celui  que  vous  pleurez,  et  qui 
laisse  un  si  grand  vide  parmi  nous ; aucun  de  nous  n’oublie  que 


316 


c’est  a lui  surtout  que  nous  devons  le  deyeloppement  pris  en 
Amerique  par  les  disciples  de  Hahnemann. 

Le  Dr.  Hering  a donne  lin  exemple  que  chacun  tiendra  a hon- 
neur  d’imiter  dans  la  mesure  de  ses  forces.  Le  plus  grand  hom- 
mage  que  nous  puissions  rendre  a sa  memoire  sera  de  suivre  la 
tradition  de  devouement  a la  verite  et  d’infatigable  travail  qu’il 
nous  a laissee. 

Yeuillez  agreer,  madame,  l’assurance  de  notre  tres  humble 
respect. 

Ont  signe : MM.  Boyer,  Chancer  el  pere,  Victor  Chancer  el,  vice- 
president  de  la  Societe  hahnemanienne  federative,  Claude,  secre- 
taire general  de  la  Societe  homceopatique  de  France;  Compagnon, 
secretaire  adjoint  de  la  Societe  hahnemanienne;  Cramoisy,  Cretin, 
Dacher,  Dezermeaux,  Fournier,  Guerin- Meneville,  president  de  la 
Societe  homoeopathique  de  France;  Heermann,  secretaire-general 
de  la  Soci6t6  hahnemanienne;  Leboucher,  president  de  la  Societe 
hahnemanienne;  Fred.  Love,  James  Love,  Monnier,  Partenay, 
vice-president  de  la  Societe  homoeopathique  de  France;  Leon 
Simon  pere,  Vincent- Leon  Simon,  secretaire-adjoint  de  la  Societe 
hahnemanienne;  Tessier. 

MM.  Placido  Diaz,  de  Puebla  (Mexique),  et  Antonio  de  Mello 
de  Porto  (Portugal),  qui  assistaient  a la  derniere  seance  de  la 
Societe  hahnemanienne,  ont  eu  la  gracieusete  d’ajouter  leurs  sig- 
natures a celles  de  leurs  confreres  de  Paris. 

The  following  eulogy*  was  read  by  Dr.  C.  Heermann : 

On  the  23d  of  July,  at  half-past  10  o’clock  in  the  evening, 
Dr.  Hering  departed  this  life,  having  passed  his  80th  year. 

He  had  for  some  time  before  his  death  suffered  from  asthma, 
without,  however,  ceasing  to  attend  to  his  daily  duties.  He  re- 
tired to  his  study,  on  the  evening  of  the  23d,  a little  after  8 
o’clock.  About  10  o’clock  he  called  his  wife,  who  found  him 


* Translated  from  the  French  by  Mrs.  M.  F.  Green  and  Miss  Emily  Jones. 


317 


suffering  from  much  difficulty  in  breathing,  but  in  full  possession 
of  his  faculties.  Drs.  Raue  and  Koch  were  summoned  at  once, 
but  before  they  came  his  soul  had  passed  away. 

To  one  of  those  around  him  he  said,  “ Now,  I am  dying.” 
Upon  other  occasions,  when  he  had  been  very  ill  and  given  up 
by  his  friends,  he  had  always  refused  to  believe  that  he  was 
dying,  feeling  sure  that  his  hour  had  not  yet  come. 

Dr.  Constantine  Hering  was  born  at  Oschatz  (Saxony), 
Germany,  January  1st,  1800.  From  his  earliest  childhood  he 
evinced  a great  desire  for  knowledge,  and  finished  with  honor 
the  studies  preparatory  to  entering  the  college  at  Zittau,  where 
he  devoted  himself  to  classical  learning  from  1811  to  1817.  He 
excelled  in  everything,  especially  in  mathematics,  and  in  all 
branches  he  went  far  beyond  the  average  of  his  time.  He  had 
a decided  taste  for  the  study  of  medicine,  which  he  followed  first 
at  the  Surgical  Academy  at  Dresden,  then  at  the  University  of 
Leipzig,  where  he  was  a pupil  of  the  celebrated  surgeon  Robbi. 
His  preceptor  having  been  at  that  time  requested  to  write 
an  article  against  Homoeopathy,  entrusted  his  pupil  with  it. 
The  latter  threw  himself  into  it  with  ardor,  studied  the  writ- 
ings which  he  was  to  attack,  and  there  found  this  expression, 
“ Represent  me,  but  represent  me  correctly.”  (. Mach’s  nach,  aber 
mack's  recht  nach.')  He  decided  to  make  a personal  investigation 
of  the  matter  in  order  to  insure  a more  complete  victory. 

Having,  with  this  end  in  view,  applied  to  a druggist  in  Leipzig 
for  the  bark  of  “Cinchona,”  the  druggist,  who  was  a friend  of 
his,  said  to  him,  after  having  heard  his  purpose,  “Let  that  alone, 
dear  Hering,  you  are  treading  on  dangerous  ground,”  but  Hering 
replied  that  he  did  not  fear  the  truth. 

The  pamphlet  against  Homoeopathy  was  not  written. 

About  this  time  a dissecting  wround  produced  on  him  such 
serious  effects,  that  not  only  did  amputation  seem  necessary,  but 
grave  fears  for  his  life  were  felt.  One  of  his  friends  at  this  time 
persuaded  him  to  try  against  this  malady,  the  power  of  homoe- 
opathic drugs.  An  entire  cure  was  the  result.  His  conversion 


318 


to  Homoeopathy  was  from  that  time  complete,  and  his  thesis 
written  to  obtain  his  degree  contained  a masterly  defence  of  the 
homoeopathic  law. 

After  he  obtained  his  degree,  March  23d,  1826,  at  the  Univer- 
sity of  Wurzburg,  he  was  appointed  by  the  King  of  Saxony  to 
go  to  Guiana,  for  the  purpose  of  scientific  research,  and  to  make 
a zoological  collection.  There  he  pursued  the  study  and  practice 
of  the  new  doctrine,  and  cured  the  daughter  of  the  governor  of 
the  province  of  a disease  which  had  been  pronounced  incurable 
by  the  resident  physicians.  Having  besides,  during  his  stay 
in  South  America,  contributed  to  the  Homoeopathic  Archives , 
thanks  to  the  influence  of  the  court  physician,  he  received  “royal 
notice”  to  quit  the  study  of  medicine  and  attend  only  to  the 
duties  of  his  position. 

His  independent  nature  rebelled  against  so  much  intolerance, 
and  he  immediately  sent  in  his  resignation,  and  continued  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  at  Paramaribo.  One  of  his  friends  and  students, 
Dr.  Bute,  who  had  formerly  been  a missionary  there,  and  who 
had  since  then  established  himself  at  Philadelphia,  represented 
this  city  to  him  as  a useful  field  for  his  labors.  Hering  arrived 
there  in  January,  1833,  but  only  remained  a short  time,  having 
been  alsked  by  Dr.  Wesselhoeft,  of  Allentown,  Pa.,  to  assist  him 
in  founding  there  a homoeopathic  school  of  medicine,  the  first 
which  had  ever  existed.  The  government  of  Pennsylvania 
accorded  to  the  faculty  the  right  to  confer  the  degree  of  doctor 
of  medicine. 

We  next  find  Dr.  Hering  established  in  Philadelphia,  with  a 
large  practice. 

So  great  was  the  variety  of  the  Doctor’s  acquaintances,  and 
the  charm  of  intercourse  with  him,  that  his  society  was  sought 
eagerly  by  statesmen,  and  the  most  illustrious  representatives  of 
political  economy,  science  and  the  fine  arts. 

But  the  Doctor  reserved  for  the  students  and  younger  practi- 
tioners his  Saturday  evenings,  during  which  he  taught  them 
from  his  own  experience,  and  shared  with  them  the  boundless 


319 


treasures  of  his  knowledge.  This  kind  custom  was  kept  up 
during  his  entire  life,  and  even  the  most  clever  considered  it  a 
great  honor  to  be  admitted  to  these  intellectual  feasts. 

What  witty  nights,  where  science  and  manly  enjoyment  were 
united  to  a hearty  simplicity  and  native  freshness ! What  de- 
licious love-feasts  under  his  truly  hospitable  roof! 

As  to  his  works,  let  us  at  least  give  a list  of  them  which  will 
serve  to  show  the  boundless  activity  of  this  fertile  brain.  Before 
leaving  the  Saxony  legation  he  had  proven,  Mezereum,  Sabadilla, 
Sabina , Colchicum,  Plumb,  ac.,  Paris  quadr.,  Cantharis,  Sodium, 
and  partly,  Antim.  tart.,  Arg.  met.,  Aristol.,  Clematis  er.,  Bellad., 
Caltha  palustris,  Opium,  Put  a,  Tanacet.,  Viola  tricolor,  etc. 

During  his  stay  in  South  America  his  provings  extended  to 
Lachesis,  Theridion  cur  ass.,  Askalabotes,  Calad.  seg.,  Jambos, 
Jatropha,  Solanum,  Spigelia,  Vanilla,  Alumina,  Acid  phosph.  and 
Psorinum. 

After  his  arrival  in  Philadelphia  he  either  proved  himself  or 
superintended  the  experiments  and  editing  of  the  provings  of  the 
following  medicines  : Mephitis,  Idodes  fcetidus,  Crotal.,  Hydro- 

phobinum,  Brucea,  Calc,  phosph.  (acid  and  basic),  Hippomanes, 
Castor  equorum,  Kalmia,  Viburnum,  Phytolacca,  Gelsemium, 
Gymnocladus,  Chlor.,  Brom.,  Ac.  fluor,  Ac.  oxal.,  Fern  met., 
Cobalt.,  Niccol.,  Oxigen,  Ozone,  Thallium,  Tellurium,  Palladium, 
Platinum,  Osmium,  Lithium,  Glonoine,  Apis,  Cepa,  Aloes,  Mille- 
fol.,  Baryta  carb.,  Nux  mos.  and  Formica. 

Besides  his  contributions  to  the  Homoeopathic  News,  1854,  and 
to  the  American  Journal  of  Materia  Medica,  1867-71,  and  the 
help  which  he  gave  to  the  translation  of  Jahr’s  Manual,  we  have 
many  of  his  writings,  both  large  and  small : 

Rise  and  Progress  of  Homoeopathy,  pamphlet,  translated  into 
Dutch  and  Swedish,  1834. 

Necessity  and  Advantages  of  Homoeopathy,  1835,  pamphlet. 

Proposition  to  Suppress  Homoeopathy,  1846,  satire. 

Logic  of  Homoeopathy,  1860,  pamphlet. 

Effects  from  the  Poison  of  Serpents,  1837. 


320 


Suggestions  for  making  Medical  Provings. 

Domestic  Physician,  1835,  of  which  there  have  been  issued 
seven  editions  in  America,  two  in  England,  and  fourteen  in  Ger- 
many; it  has  been  translated  into  French,  Spanish,  Italian, 
Danish,  Hungarian,  Russian  and  Swedish. 

American  Drug  Provings,  1853-57. 

Translation  of  Gross’  Comparative  Materia  Medica,  1866. 

Condensed  Materia  Medica,  two  editions,  1877-79. 

Analytical  Therapeutics,  1875. 

Guiding  Symptoms,  of  which  the  third  volume  was  in  press  at 
the  time  of  his  death. 

The  quantity  of  material  gathered  together  by  Dr.  Hering, 
from  which  are  drawn  his  Analytical  Therapeutics  and  Guiding 
Symptoms,  is  a marvel  of  activity,  and  the  most  careful  and 
complete  collection  which  exists  upon  Materia  Medica. 

Dr.  Hering  was  an  active  member  of  the  Academy  of  Natural 
Sciences  of  Philadelphia,  to  which  he  gave  his  large  zoological 
collection. 

He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  American  Institute  of 
Homoeopathy,  to  which  he  lent  his  cooperation  during  his  entire 
life. 

He  founded  the  American  Homoeopathic  Publishing  Society, 
whose  shareholders  obtain  his  medical  works  and  other  publica- 
tions at  greatly  reduced  rates. 

He  was  a co-founder  of  the  American  Provers’  Union,  co- 
founder of  the  Medical  Academy  at  Allentown,  co-founder  of 
the  Hahnemann  College  of  Philadelphia,  where  he  taught  for  a 
long  time  the  doctrine  of  Homoeopathy  according  to  the  Orga- 
non, which,  as  a true  disciple,  he  himself  honored  in  interpreting. 

The  Hahnemann  College  of  Philadelphia  was,  when  in 
danger  of  closing,  saved  and  reorganized  by  Dr.  Hering.  It 
numbers  ten  professors,  seven  lecturers  and  demonstrators ; con- 
tains a large  library,  a collection  of  models  and  pathological 
specimens,  a complete  chemical  laboratory  and  rooms  for  the 
study  of  anatomy  and  practical  surgery.  Medicine  is  taught 


321 


here  in  all  its  branches,  including  toxicology,  materia  medica, 
general  and  special  therapeutics,  etc.  An  excellent  chance  for 
the  allopath  who  wishes  to  learn ! 

At  his  death  Dr.  Hering  was  Emeritus  Professor  of  Insti- 
tutes and  Materia  Medica  in  this  institution. 

Of  medium  height  and  athletic  build,  nature  had  fashioned 
Dr.  Hering  physically  as  a wrestler  in  a struggle,  which  he  sus- 
tained during  his  entire  life  with  ardor  and  dignity.  Upon  his 
broad  shoulders  was  carried  a grand  head  with  the  resolute  look 
of  one  who,  without  any  pride,  knows  how  to  appreciate  his  own 
value,  and  without  affectation,  unless  one  might  call  such  his 
beautiful  hair,  which  he  always  wore  long,  like  the  Germans  of 
the  olden  time.  He  had  the  well-developed  forehead  of  an  ob- 
server, heavy  eyebrows,  shading  the  black  eye  of  his  race,  and 
an  expression  in  which  played  the  anxiety  of  unwearied  thought 
joined  to  a boundless  kindness  of  heart.  His  step,  noiseless  and 
elastic  in  spite  of  his  great  weight,  prepossessed  all  in  his  favor ; 
his  presence  shed  abroad  an  atmosphere  of  benevolence,  and  in- 
spired the  young  with  confidence  in  a superiority  which  might 
have  crushed  them,  the  sick  with  courage  and  all  with  sympathy, 
while  to  those  who  were  fortunate  enough  to  be  able  to  approach 
sufficiently  near  to  appreciate  him,  his  presence  served  to  fill 
them  with  an  admiration  of  the  tenderest  nature. 

Of  a happily  tenacious  memory,  he  was  at  home  on  all  subjects, 
listening  with  attention  to  the  young  whom  he  was  teaching,  and 
of  such  affability,  that  giving,  he  seemed  to  receive  and  learn 
from  them. 

His  faculties  of  a superior  order,  formed  upon  musical  harmo- 
nies from  his  birth,  (his  father  was  an  organist,)  and  coordinated 
by  the  study  of  mathematics  to  a form  of  reasoning,  and  by 
classical  learning  to  the  very  depths  of  philosophy,  had  been  en- 
riched by  the  study  of  natural  science,  of  which  he  was  a per- 
fect master.  His  clear,  precise  enunciation ; his  sweet  voice ; his 
just,  candid  appreciation,  where  the  severe  logic  of  science  was 
mingled  with  great  goodness  of  heart,  all  united  in  showing  a 
21 


322 


feeling  of  honest  and  irresistible  conviction  at  the  centre  of  which 
resounded  like  an  ever- vibrating  echo,  these  words : Follow  me 
correctly. 

Scientifically  speaking,  his  well-moulded  hand  showed  a depth 
of  receptive  sensibility  capable  of  analysis,  and,  by  its  eastern 
form,  the  synthetic  power  well  characterized.  Humanly  speak- 
ing, it  was  like  his  heart,  which,  deeply  affected,  sympathized 
with  all  in  the  arduous  contest  of  life,  giving  both  of  his  support 
and  his  charity.  For  it  must  be  said  that,  slightly  negligent  of 
external  forms,  he  seemed  to  be  only  the  guardian  of  benefits  re- 
ceived, which  he  scattered  round  him  without  any  regard  for  his 
own  interests.  He  cared  nothing  for  riches  ; so  to  him  was  given 
the  loving  title  of  Father  Hering. 

To  understand  him  thoroughly  one  must  remember  that  he 
was  brought  up  at  a time  of  great  effervescence,  wThich  accounts 
for  his  communicative  enthusiasm.  Perfectly  balanced,  his 
judgment  did  not  allow  his  imagination  to  expend  itself  in  any 
direction,  save  in  the  ardor  which  he  lavished  upon  his  studies ; 
and  his  moral  sense  or  feeling  of  duty  sustained  him  in  his  great 
work,  in  which  he  never  failed,  in  spite  of  the  many  meannesses 
of  those  who  were  jealous  of  the  great  stranger  in  a country 
which  was  not  his  by  an  accident  of  birth,  but  by  adoption,  and 
in  spite  of  the  bitterness  with  which  those  who,  not  being  able  to 
reach  the  man,  tried  to  disparage  him  and  the  truths  to  which  he 
had  consecrated  his  life.  To  these  truths  he  was  faithful  to  a 
degree  which  never  lessened,  neither  when  pursued  by  vexations, 
nor  when  struggling  against  the  restraints  of  the  age,  for,  a few 
days  before  his  death,  he  returned  thanks  for  all  the  good  that  he 
had  received  from  Homoeopathy.  He  planned  even  at  that  time 
a new  Materia  Medica,  in  which  the  theory  and  practice  should 
explain  each  other,  to  the  great  joy  of  the  disciples  of  the  school. 

The  results  of  his  unheard-of  work,  and  of  his  perseverance, 
are  not  only  spread  through  the  writings  of  many  periodicals, 
but  are  recorded  in  volumes  of  extraordinary  merit.  One  is 
astonished  in  becoming  acquainted  with  this  study,  made  so  deep 


323 


by  comparisons,  by  parallel  quotations,  by  circumstances  of  time, 
of  position,  of  direction,  and  of  sides.  And  the  question  arises, 
why  so  much  care,  which  no  one  before  him  had  thought  of  any 
use,  unless  the  compilation  of  Boenninghausen  should  be  con- 
sidered as  something  more  than  patient  statistics.  Dr.  Hering 
brought  to  this  work  not  only  the  minute  exactitude  of  the 
naturalist,  and  the  faithfulness  of  the  homoeopathic  believer,  but 
the  ardent  perseverance  of  one  who  studies  the  laws  of  a living 
pathology.  He  thought  that  there  should  be  a reason  for  the 
preference  of  certain  remedies  for  this  or  that  part  of  the  body. 
Is  it  the  result  of  medical  affinities,  of  idiosyncracies,  or  the  re- 
sult of  medical  action  and  physical  reaction  ? What  law  does  the 
circulation  of  the  nervous  fluid  follow?  What  reason,  what 
course  must  be  assigned  for  the  vital  wave?  Through  the  sta- 
tistic method  to  which  he  was  devoted  there  came  to  him  the 
suspicion  of  a law  to  be  discovered.  And  do  not  let  us  criticize 
too  severely  this  ambition.  The  measure  of  intuition  and  appre- 
ciation, which  a mind  thus  exercised  makes  use  of,  is  not  ours. 
The  law  of  doses,  and  the  law  for  which  Hering  sought,  will 
both  one  day  be  added,  like  great  luminaries,  to  the  discoveries 
made  for  the  good  of  mankind.  Hering,  himself,  knew  that  the 
hour  of  this  revelation,  a kind  of  promised  land,  had  not  yet 
come,  and  he  contented  himself  with  erecting  a monument  of 
facts  and  works,  so  that  others  might  make  use  of  it  later  on. 
Then  seeing  that  the  Materia  Medica,  worked  in  this  way,  world 
be  almost  too  colossal  a work,  he  began  another,  as  fine,  but  much 
shorter,  which  the  student  might,  if  he  wished  it,  re-work.  It  is, 
in  fact,  more  within  our  reach.  Then,  to  define  still  more  clearly 
the  lines  to  be  followed,  in  the  practical  way,  he  makes  a resume 
of  the  whole,  and  under  the  name  of  Analytical  Therapeutics 
gave  the  result  of  long  years  of  observation,  either  by  himself  or 
others.  A work  still  incomp1  ete,  but,  such  as  it  is,  of  inestimable 
value. 

At  the  time  when  Dr.  Hering  appeared  upon  the  scene,  our 
school  but  just  started,  was  like  a fragile  shell  upon  the  waters, 


324 


ready  to  be  engulfed  at  the  least  movement  of  the  waves. 
Hering  came,  incomparably  eminent,  fortified  with  vast  knowl- 
edge, an  unceasing  activity,  a boundless  kindness,  a feeling  of 
duty  to  be  done,  equal  to  every  struggle.  He  started  every 
movement  for  the  good  of  our  school,  never  allowed  himself  to 
be  discouraged,  was  present  everywhere  upon  the  scene  of  action, 
encouraged  and  directed  the  students,  stimulated  the  people  to 
work,  adding  to  his  daily  practice  the  work  of  a large  correspond- 
ence, of  medical  provings  and  of  a college  professorship.  To 
accomplish  this  he  was  often  on  duty  twenty-one  hours  out  of 
the  twenty-four. 

Our  school  has  gained  in  size,  in  strength,  in  consideration ; it 
is  no  longer  a shell,  a plaything  at  the  mercy  of  the  waves,  but 
a majestic  ship,  with  its  flag  floating  proudly  on  all  shores,  the 
joy  of  every  land.  And  if  we,  the  contemporaries  of  Hering, 
have  seen  him  and  known  his  worth,  posterity,  on  account  of  the 
imperishable  monument  which  he  has  left  us  as  the  fruit  of  his 
labors,  will  place  him,  a worthy  competitor,  by  the  side  of  the 
Master  himself,  and  bestow  upon  him  the  title  of  “ great,”  which 
he  has  so  richly  deserved. 

When  Hahnemann  attacked  the  old  school  at  its  foundations, 
by  the  denial,  both  of  its  fundamental  principle  and  the  efficacy 
of  its  therapeutic  power,  he  did  not  content  himself  with  a sim- 
ple denial.  For  the  denial,  which  may  become  the  starting-point 
of  an  argument  or  a system,  is  not  one  in  itself.  Alone,  and 
without  reconstruction,  if  something  has  not  been  rebuilt  upon 
the  ruins  of  that  which  has  been  demolished,  it  is  either  the  re- 
turn to  an  unwholesome  barbarism  foreign  to  our  day,  or  the 
paltry  confession  of  weakness  of  mind.  Hahnemann,  while 
making  clean  work  of  the  old  school,  determined  the  rules  which 
should  govern  the  choice  of  a medicine  in  a case  of  sickness, 
reunited  by  his  system  the  disavowed  ties1  which  exist  between  the 


1 Physiological  maxim.  The  parts  of  a whole  are  in  the  same  conditions 
as  the  whole,  the  whole  in  the  same  conditions  as  the  parts.  All  local 
treatment  rests  upon  a disavowal  of  this  maxim. 


325 


maxims  of  physiology  and  therapeutics;  for  the  untenable  law 
of  opposites2  substituted  the  indisputable  law3  of  similars,  and,  by 
means  of  provings  on  the  healthy  man,  initiated  us  into  the  com- 
plicated study  of  the  psychical4  and  physical  man,  a close  bond, 
by  which  in  every  disease  these  double  beings  are  united. 

Strong  in  obedience  to  the  law  and  this  science,  we  entered  the 
arena,  physicians  of  the  body,  physicians  of  the  soul,  apostles  of 
the  right,  true  benefactors,  and  regenerators  of  the  human  race. 
It  was  from  henceforth  a question  if  the  science  of  medicine 
should  be  material  or  spiritual.  By  its  very  constitution  Homoe- 
opathy is  the  realization  in  science  of  that  which  the  Christian 
idea  has  already  attained  in  art  and  literature,  a vital  influence 
which  preserves  from  death. 

To  deny  Homoeopathy  we  must  either  return  to  the  singularly 
changeable — some  say  useless — medicine  of  the  academy,  medi- 
cine of  experiment,  of  quackery,  and  which,  by  the  uncertainty 
of  its  course,  tends  to  destroy  all  faith,  or  else  we  must  invent 
new  principles,  the  formula  of  which  we  do  not  suspect  to-day. 
And  it  must  be  said,  during  the  length  of  time  that  we  have 
existed,  nearly  a century,  in  spite  of  the  almost  febrile  mental 
activity  of  the  times,  no  one  has  found  this  new  way.  After 
Hahnemann  no  denial  is  possible.  In  his  system  the  connection 


2 Examples  of  the  application  of  the  law  of  similars.  A frozen  limb  is 
cured  by  the  application  of  snow,  or  the  air  of  a cold  room.  Inflammation 
is  reduced  by  the  application  of  warm  water.  Purgatives  are  employed  in 
cases  of  diarrhoea  and  dysentery.  Vomiting  is  stopped  by  drinking  warm 
water  or  by  an  emetic  of  mustard,  and  lastly  vaccine,  which  is  not  in  any 
respect  the  opposite,  but  in  every  respect  like  small-pox,  is  used,  indeed 
legally  enforced,  by  the  old  school. 

3 This  law  is  deduced  from  the  observation  of  facts;  it  is  a general  one, 
in  so  far  as  no  cure  is  effected  without  its  application. 

4 The  study  of  all  our  pathogeneses  begins  by  that  of  the  mental,  moral, 
or  psychical  state  in  certain  physical  conditions.  One  of  these  conditions 
being  given,  the  other  is  necessarily  deduced  from  it.  This  study,  applied 
to  infancy,  gives  us  the  means  of  modifying  its  psychical  tendencies,  or  of 
improving  the  race. 


326 


of  the  different  parts  is  so  close  and  binding  that  it  is  not  to  be 
wondered  at  that  a mind  which  sincerely  tries  to  become  ac- 
quainted with  it  should  be  seriously  impressed.  Hering,  the 
medical  student,  his  knife  in  his  hand,  wished  lightly  to  make  this 
acquaintance ; but  he  soon  discovered  that  it  was  instead  a study 
which  one  must  follow  carefully.  At  a single  glance  he  was 
Struck  with  the  importance  of  this  event  in  the  medical  world. 
He  saw  not  only  what  we  have  said,  but  many  other  things  be- 
sides, all  the  advantages  of  the  position,  a victory  already  ac- 
quired, wThich  it  was  only  necessary  to  organize.  This  life-work 
was  spread  out  before  him  from  that  very  hour. 

Armed  with  the  motto,  “ I can  do  nothing  unless  God  helps 
me,”  he  risked  his  career,  and  before  the  faculty  which  was  to 
decide  his  fate  he  dared  to  throw  down  the  gauntlet  in  the  name 
of  the  medicine  of  the  future.  This  faith  never  contradicted 
itself ; it  inspired  him.  After  a few  preliminaries  in  the  way  of 
observations  and  controversy,  he  makes  his  first  appearance 
through  the  study  of  Laehesis,  a production  sufficient  in  itself  to 
insure  him  the  reputation  of  a master. 

For  many  years  he  made  personal  confirmations  of  the  provings 
made  by  Hahnemann,  verifying  them  and  adding  to  them  new 
symptoms.  His  part  in  the  great  struggle  was  determined  by  the 
certainty  which  he  thus  obtained  for  the  superiority  of  our 
Materia  Medica,  and  of  the  great  benefit  which  our  school  derives 
from  it.  He  gave  his  life  to  add  to  the  precious  discoveries  which 
are  comprised  in  our  Materia  Medica.  If  a cure  or  new  symp- 
tom was  reported  to  him  he  made  careful  note  of  it,  but  subjected 
it  to  severe  examination.  When  verified,  it  became  new  mate- 
rial. He  adopted  nothing  which  had  not  been  subjected  to 
positive  proof.  His  horizon,  always  enlarging,  widened  by  sure 
degrees.  But  so  great  success  never  caused  a single  fibre  of  his 
heart  to  contract.  Whoever  knocked  at  his  door  was  welcomed 
kindly  upon  the  threshold,  for  Dr.  Hering  joyfully  opened  to  all 
the  doors  of  the  sanctuary  of  science.  And  everyone,  receiving 
more  than  he  had  hoped  to  find,  went  away  with  his  wishes 


327 


gratified  and  his  heart  ennobled  by  his  great  example.  It  is  not 
because  the  American  people  were  credulous,  or  lacked  a practical 
spirit,  but  rather  because  they  were  so  eminently  practical  that 
they  listened  willingly  to  this  man,  who  was  born  a physician  of 
full  growth,  and  that  he  accomplished  under  this  influence  the 
results  which  we  know.  Either  as  adviser,  or  associated  invisibly 
with  all  our  struggles,  which  are  crowned  with  success,  Hering, 
in  his  turn,  did  full  justice  to  his  numerous  fellow-workers,  attri- 
buting to  himself  but  a small  part  of  the  results.  And  the  names 
of  Dunham,  Gosewich,  Gray,  Guernsey,  Haynel,  Hull,  Jeanes, 
Kitchen,  Lippe,  Neidhard,  Pulte,  Raue,  Wells,  Wesselhoeft, 
Williamson  and  many  others  were  always  mentioned  by  him 
with  respect  and  enthusiasm. 

Dr.  Hering’s  conversation,  accustomed  as  he  was  to  write  with 
precision  and  brevity,  was  not  constrained  in  private  life.  It  was 
enlivened  by  piquant  and  witty  remarks,  and  he  sometimes  em- 
ployed sarcasm,  although  he  rarely  made  use  of  this  weapon. 
He  enjoyed  a joke,  and  his  easy  and  natural  narration  of  differ- 
ent events,  joined  to  a slightly  bantering  air,  lent  a great  charm 
to  a sweet  and  sonorous  voice. 

Thus,  for  a half  century,  Dr.  Hering  worked,  gathering  to- 
gether treasures  of  science,  which  he  has  bequeathed  to  us,  as  if 
the  duty  of  doing  good  was  the  only  thing  which  kept  him  on 
this  earth.  A man  of  a profound  and  sincere  religious  faith,  as 
a Homoeopath,  having  faith  in  the  cause,  and  feeling  himself  en- 
dowed with  a special  mission,  he  has  fulfilled  his  task,  worthily, 
nobly,  grandly,  for  the  good  of  man  and  to  the  glory  of  God,  in 
whose  peace  he  is  still  living. 


MEETING  OF  CANADIAN  HOMCEOPATHIC 
INSTITUTE. 

At  a meeting  of  the  Canadian  Homoeopathic  Institute, 
held  at  St.  Thomas,  on  Wednesday,  October  27th,  1880, 


328 


the  President,  Dr.  John  Hall,  proposed  that  the  sad  sub- 
ject of  the  demise  of  Dr.  Constantine  Hering  be  consid- 
ered, and  as  an  introductory  read  a most  pleasing  and 
touching  memorial  written  by  Dr.  Edward  Bayard,  of 
New  York,  after  which  he  offered  the  following  resolu- 
tions which  were  unanimously  carried: 

Whereas,  It  has  pleased  the  Almighty  Disposer  of  all  events 
to  remove  from  his  post  of  long  and  self-sacrificing  labors  our 
late  venerable  friend  and  colleague,  Dr.  Constantine  Hering; 
and, 

Whereas,  He  has  been  greatly  endeared  to  us  by  his  many 
qualities  of  mind  and  heart;  by  his  eminent  abilities  and  pa- 
tient toil  in  searching  after  truth ; by  his  k,een  faculty  of  observa- 
tion and  apprehension  in  its  acquisition ; by  the  tenacity,  courage 
and  ability  with  which  he  held  and  defended  what  he  esteemed 
the  truth;  by  his  large  accumulation  of  knowledge  and  extensive 
experience ; by  his  noble  simplicity  of  character  and  the  unswerv- 
ing devotion  of  his  great  talents  and  influence  through  a long 
life  to  the  advocacy  and  extension  of  Homoeopathy,  agreeably  to 
the  principles  and  rules  given  us  by  the  illustrious  founder  of 
our  art  in  his  Organon;  wherefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  we  and  the  homoeopathic  profession  throughout 
the  world  have  suffered  by  his  death  an  incalculable  loss ; and, 

Resolved,  That  at  this  first  ndeeting  of  the  Canadian  Institute  of 
Homoeopathy  since  the  decease  of  our  departed  friend,  we  tender 
our  cordial  expression  of  sorrow  and  sincere  sympathy  in  this 
bereavement  to  the  family  and  friends  of  the  deceased. 


MARYLAND  STATE  SOCIETY. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Maryland  State  Homoeo- 
pathic Medical  Society,  held  in  Baltimore,  November  10th, 


329 


1880,  Dr.  F.  R.  McManus,  of  Baltimore,  offered  a motion 
that  a committee  of  one  be  appointed  by  the  president  of 
the  Society  to  prepare  a proper  notice  and  resolutions  in 
regard  to  the  loss  the  profession  and  humanity  had  sus- 
tained in  the  death  of  Dr.  Constantine  Hering.  The 
motion  was  carried,  and  the  president  appointed  Dr.  F.  R. 
McManus  for  that  duty. 

At  the  next  meeting,  November  11th,  Dr.  McManus  said  : 

Mr.  President  and  Gentlemen: — 

Forty-three  years  ago,  this  very  month  of  November,  I had 
the  pleasure  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  Constantine  Hering, 
M.D.,  by  calling  upon  him.  I was  then  visiting  Philadelphia 
preliminary  to  my  investigation  of  Homoeopathy.  I explained 
to  him  the  object  of  my  visit,  and  was  listened  to  with  kind  pa- 
tience and  advantage  to  myself ; and  I availed  of  and  profited  by 
the  instructions  I received  from  him.  My  visit  having  occurred 
during  his  office  consultation  hour,  I noticed  that  he  frequently 
made  reference  to  his  books  for  aid  in  the  selection  of  his  reme- 
dies. I mentioned  this  to  him,  and  he  replied,  “ You  will  find 
out  that  no  man  can  carry  Homoeopathy  in  his  head,  every  case 
being  different  and  a subject  for  study.”  I oftentimes  afterwards 
derived  aid  from  his  suggestions  and  advice  when  consulting  him 
about  serious  and  obstinate  cases. 

By  the  splendor  of  his  mind,  and  his  indefatigable  labors  in 
the  cause  of  medical  science,  he  has  created  his  own  monument, 
to  perpetuate  his  fame  and  his  worth  to  future  ages,  and  a stimu- 
lus to  ambition  in  all  who  are  engaged  in  his  high,  honorable, 
and  responsible  calling. 

It  has  often  been  remarked — in  religion,  in  medicine,  in  law, 
in  politics,  in  the  arts  and  sciences — of  some  distinguished  indi- 
vidual, that  “his  place  can  never  be  filled  as  he  filled  it.”  If 
ever  such  a remark  proved  to  be  true,  it  may  be  proclaimed  in 


330 


regard  to  our  late  distinguished  colleague,  Dr.  Constantine 
Hering. 

I beg  to  offer,  in  the  name  and  behalf  of  this  Society,  the  fol- 
lowing resolutions: 

Resolved , By  the  Maryland  State  Homoeopathic  Medical  So- 
ciety, that,  in  common  with  our  medical  colleagues  of  Philadel- 
phia, and  of  the  world,  we  have  heard  of  the  demise  of  our  late 
colleague  in  the  practice  of  medicine,  the  venerable  Constantine 
Hering,  M.D.,  who  could  justly  be  called  “ the  Father  of  Homoe- 
opathy in  America,”  who  left  us,  filled  with  profound  knowledge, 
and  a master  in  his  profession ; and  that  we  regard  his  loss  not 
only  as  one  to  an  especial  locality,  but  to  the  whole  medical 
world  and  to  all  suffering  humanity. 

Resolved , That  our  heartfelt  sympathies  be  tendered  to  his  be- 
reaved surviving  wife  and  relatives,  and  to  his  surviving  medical 
colleagues  of  Philadelphia. 

The  resolutions  were  unanimously  adopted. 


WEST  JERSEY  SOCIETY  MEETING. 

At  a meeting  of  the  West  Jersey  Homoeopathic  Medical 
Society,  held  February  16th,  1881,  the  following  preamble 
and  resolutions  were  adopted  as  offered  by  a committee 
consisting  of  Drs.  S.  H.  Quint,  E.  M.  Howard,  and  M.  F. 
Middleton : 

Whereas,  It  has  pleased  an  All- Wise  Providence  to  remove  by 
death,  in  the  fulness  of  his  years,  our  distinguished  colleague, 
Dr.  Constantine  Hering, 

Resolved,  That  the  West  Jersey  Homoeopathic  Medical  So- 
ciety, in  honor  of  his  memory,  place  upon  record  our  sincere 
appreciation  of  the  very  eminent  services  he  has  rendered  to  the 
cause  of  Homoeopathy,  and  our  deep  sorrow  that  the  medical 
profession  has  lost  the  counsels  of  so  great  and  good  'a  man. 


331 


Resolved,  That  we  recognize  in  his  life  an  example  worthy  of 
emulation  in  its  devotion  to  the  cause  of  science  and  Homoe- 
opathy, and  in  his  death  that  of  one  who  has  filled  the  full  period 
of  man’s  life,  with  a noble  life’s  work,  which  seems  to  have  left 
nothing  undone. 


AMERICAN  INSTITUTE  MEMORIAL  SERVICE. 

At  the  thirty-fourth  session  of  the  American  Institute 
of  Homoeopathy,  held  at  Brighton  Beach,  N.  Y.,  a special 
hour  was  set  apart  on  the  fourth  day  of  the  session,  June 
17th,  1881,  for  a memorial  service  in  honor  of  Dr.  Con- 
stantine Hering. 

The  necrologist,  Dr.  Henry  D.  Paine,  of  New  York,  had 
presented  the  following  memoir: 

Constantine  Hering,  M.D.,  of  Philadelphia. 

No  memorial  that  can  be  embraced  in  the  circumscribed  limits 
of  these  brief  chronicles  of  our  departed  colleagues,  can  ade- 
quately set  forth  the  character  and  services  of  this  eminent  and 
venerable  apostle  of  Homoeopathy,  whose  death,  since  the  last 
annual  session  of  the  Institute,  has  affected  our  whole  fraternity 
with  a profound  emotion.  Wherever  Homoeopathy  has  any 
standing  in  the  community,  the  name  of  Dr.  Hering  has  been 
known,  for  a generation  at  least,  as  that  of  one  of  its  most  dis- 
tinguished expositors  and  propagandists,  while  thousands  who 
have  shared  the  privilege  of  his  personal  acquaintance,  or  having 
received  instruction  from  his  lips,  not  only  venerate  him  as  a 
master,  but  loved  him  as  a friend  and  father. 

To  give  a full  account  of  his  honorable  career,  or  even  a sum- 
mary of  his  great  services  to  the  cause  to  which  the  greater  part 
of  his  long  life  was  devoted,  would  far  exceed  the  object  and  the 


332 


limits  allowed  to  these  reports,  as  well  as  the  time  and  ability  of 
the  writer.  An  extended  eulogium  in  this  relation  is  unneces- 
sary, in  view  of  the  memorial  service  which  is  to  be  held  in  his 
honor  before  the  close  of  this  meeting.  All  that  will  be  attempted 
in  these  remarks  is  a brief  sketch  of  the  principal  circumstances 
of  the  life  of  Dr.  Hering,  every  turn  of  which  must  henceforth 
be  of  interest  to  every  member  of  the  Institute,  with  whose  foun- 
dation and  early  history  he  was  so  closely  identified.  It  was 
expected  that,  in  the  preparation  of  this  narrative,  the  compiler 
wTould  have  had  the  assistance  of  some  one  whose  knowdedge  of 
these  events,  derived  from  a long  and  intimate  familiarity  of 
them,  w7ould  have  more  thoroughly  secured  its  accurate  perform- 
ance. Although  disappointed  in  this  expectation,  it  is  hoped  that 
the  following  compendium,  though  imperfect,  is  substantially 
correct. 

Constantine  Hering  was  a native  of  Saxony,  and  first  saw  the 
light  in  the  town  of  Oschatz,  on  New  Year’s  day,  1800.  His 
father  was  a man  of  liberal  views  on  education,  and  an  advocate 
of  the  system  of  instruction  that  has  since  become  a charac- 
teristic of  German  educational  policy.  As  may  be  supposed, 
young  Constantine  was  given  every  advantage,  and  he  worked 
his  way  through  the  successive  grades  of  schools  in  a manner  cal- 
culated to  gain  the  highest  praise  of  his  preceptors.  His  inclina- 
tion for  the  study  of  natural  history  was  manifested  at  an  early 
age.  He  even  delighted  in  collecting,  analyzing,  and  arranging 
specimens  and  examples  from  the  different  kingdoms  of  nature, 
some  of  which  were  thought  worthy  of  acceptance  by  the  public 
museums. 

In  due  time  he  entered  the  University  of  Leipzig,  intending  to 
study  especially  with  the  view  of  becoming  a physician.  Having 
so  strong  a passion  for  the  natural  sciences,  he  soon  became  a 
favorite  with  some  of  the  professors,  who  gave  him  every 
encouragement. 

It  was  while  resident  at  this  seat  of  learning  that  his  attention 
was  first  directed  to  the  subject  of  Homoeopathy,  by  a request 


333 


from  a large  publishing  house  to  write  a refutation  of  the  doc- 
trines of  Hahnemann,  which  were  already  stirring  up  no  little 
commotion  among  the  medical  profession.  Under  the  belief  that 
this  would  be  an  easy  task,  and  encouraged  by  the  assurances  of 
his  teachers,  he  set  about  the  work  with  ready  confidence.  The 
better  to  qualify  himself  for  his  undertaking,  he  wisely  began  by 
an  examination  of  the  tenets  and  methods  that  he  was  expected 
to  demolish,  as  promulgated  in  Hahnemann’s  own  writings.  The 
result  of  this  preliminary  investigation  was  such  as  to  cause  his 
abandonment  of  the  engagement,  after  a struggle  of  several 
months,  greatly  to  the  chagrin  of  his  family  and  the  disgust  of 
his  former  medical  friends.  Further  examination  satisfied  him 
of  the  truth  of  the  new  ideas  and  completed  his  conversion. 

These  proceedings  sadly  darkened  his  prospects  at  Leipzig,  as 
they  lost  him  the  patronage  he  had  enjoyed  by  the  favor  of  his 
preceptors,  and  he  became  seriously  embarrassed  in  the  prosecu- 
tion of  his  studies.  Having,  however,  received  from  one  of  his 
family  the  means  for  the  purpose,  he  removed  to  Wurzburg, 
where,  on  the  22d  of  March,  1826,  he  succeeded  in  obtaining  his 
degree,  notwithstanding  that  in  his  inaugural  thesis,  “De 
Medicina  Futura,”  he  unhesitatingly  espoused  the  cause  of 
Homoeopathy. 

F or  some  time  after  graduation  he  was  occupied  in  teaching ; 
but  after  some  months  he  was  offered  an  appointment  as  a mem- 
ber of  a scientific  expedition  to  South  America,  of  which  the 
King  was  patron.  His  love  for  natural  history  induced  him  to 
accept  the  position.  While  absent  upon  this  expedition  he  ful- 
filled his  scientific  duties  with  entire  satisfaction  to  the  promoters 
of  the  scheme.  At  the  same  time,  however,  he  did  not  neglect 
his  study  of  Homoeopathy — practicing  his  art  as  opportunity 
offered — but  especially  in  making  and  conducting  original  prov- 
ings of  new  drugs,  in  which  work  he  had  already  done  valuable 
service  before  leaving  home.  The  accounts  of  his  provings,  etc., 
were  sent  to  and  published  in  the  Homoeopathic  Archives.  When 
this  became  known  to  the  government  an  official  intimation  was 


334 


dispatched  that  he  should,  in  future,  devote  himself  exclusively 
to  the  objects  of  the  expedition.  On  receipt  of  this  order  he 
speedily  resolved  to  sever  his  connection  with  the  enterprise  and 
devote  himself  to  the  practice  and  cultivation  of  Homoeopathy. 
He  remained  six  years  in  South  America,  during  which  time  he 
diligently  prosecuted  the  work  he  had  taken  in  hand.  Especially 
in  the  number  and  thoroughness  of  the  provings  that  he  then 
conducted,  his  characteristic  industry  and  perseverance  were  re- 
markable. His  reports  of  Lachesis,  Theridion,  Caladium,  Spi- 
gelia,  etc.,  are  among  the  classics  of  our  Materia  Medica. 

While  practicing  in  Paramaribo  he  had  for  a patient  a Mo- 
ravian missionary,  Dr.  Bute,  who  had  been  sent  to  Surinam.  He 
was  dangerously  ill  with  spotted  fever — exceedingly  dangerous  in 
that  climate — but  recovered  under  Dr.  Hering’s  treatment.  He 
was  so  amazed  at  his  own  unexpected  cure,  and  so  grateful 
withal,  that  he  began  to  crave  a knowledge  of  the  wonderful 
medical  system,  and  from  being  a patient  he  became  a student  of 
his  preserver.  After  his  return  to  this  country,  in  1831,  Dr.  Bute 
practiced  in  Nazareth,  Pa.  On  the  outbreak  of  the  cholera  in 
Philadelphia  in  the  following  year,  he  went  to  that  city  to  assist 
in  the  care  of  the  sick. 

Finding  the  demand  for  his  services  so  great,  he  wrote  to  Dr. 
Hering,  urging  him  to  come  and  join  him.  The  appeal  was 
effectual,  but  Dr.  Hering  did  not  arrive  till  the  spring  of  1833. 
He  associated  himself  with  Dr.  Bute  in  Vine  street,  Philadelphia, 
an  arrangement  which  continued  with  mutual  satisfaction  until, 
from  enfeebled  health,  Dr.  Bute  was  obliged  to  retire,  some  years 
later.  Dr.  Hering  did  not  introduce  Homoeopathy  into  Pennsyl- 
vania. This  had  already  been  done  before  his  arrival  by  Dr. 
Detwiller,  Dr.  Ihm,  Dr.  Bute,  Dr.  Freytag,  and  others,  and  he 
found  himself  surrounded  by  a small  but  intelligent  and  earnest 
band  of  adherents  of  the  system.  His  reputation  had  preceded 
his  advent,  and  he  was  welcomed  with  great  cordiality  and  en- 
thusiasm. In  December  of  the  same  year  he  joined  with  a num- 
ber of  others  in  organizing  the  first  school  of  instruction  in 


335 


homoeopathic  therapeutics  in  the  world,  under  the  name  of  the 
“North  American  Academy  of  the  Homoeopathic  Healing  Art,” 
to  be  located  at  Allentown.  Dr.  Hering  was  to  be  president  and 
principal  professor.  A charter  was  obtained,  funds  were  raised, 
buildings  erected,  a faculty  appointed,  students  taught  and  grad- 
uated, and  a vast  deal  of  other  work  in  behalf  of  the  great 
medical  reform,  which  cannot  even  be  alluded  to  here.  In  all 
this,  the  leading  spirit  and  the  valiant  hand  was  Dr.  Hering’s. 
The  history  of  Homoeopathy  in  this  country  cannot  be  fully 
understood  without  reading  the  narration  of  the  “ Allentown 
Academy,”  as  it  was  generally  called,  of  which  an  instructive 
sketch  may  be  found  in  the  second  volume  of  the  Transactions  of 
the  World’s  Convention  of  1876.  The  faculty  continued  its 
labors  till  1842,  when,  after  a useful  but  brief  career,  the  enter- 
prise was  discontinued.  Dr.  Hering  returned  to  Philadelphia, 
but  the  same  untiring  zeal  and  industry  never  deserted  him.  He 
has  ever  striven  with  an  earnest  purpose  and  an  intelligent  judg- 
ment to  develop  and  extend  the  resources  of  the  Hahnemannian 
therapeutics.  In  1844  he  presided  at  the  organization  of  the 
American  Institute  of  Homoeopathy,  composed  at  first  of  a few 
but  zealous  converts,  but  which  he  lived  to  see  embracing  many 
hundreds  of  members. 

Apart  from  his  scientific,  literary,  and  professional  labors,  his 
life  during  the  last  thirty  years  presents  but  few  incidents  of 
prominence.  With  strong  domestic  habits,  and  a deep  conviction 
of  his  duty  and  mission,  he  was  content  to  carry  on  the  work  of 
his  vocation  without  ostentation,  enjoying  the  respectful  deference 
of  his  disciples,  as  they  sought  information  or  advice,  more  than 
the  applause  of  the  noisy  multitude. 

Our  venerable  colleague  lived  to  a ripened  age,  and  had  seen 
rich  fruits  from  his  unselfish  and  sometimes  unappreciated  labors, 
and  he  finally  sunk  to  his  rest  July  23d,  1880,  with  the  calmness 
and  composure  of  one  who  has  performed  his  task  with  diligence 
and  honesty  of  purpose. 


336 


The  President,  Dr.  John  W.  Dowling,  of  New  York,  in 
his  address  at  the  opening  of  the  session,  concluded  it 
with  these  words: 

I cannot  close  without  reference  to  the  great  loss  the  entire 
homoeopathic  profession  throughout  the  world  has  met  with  in 
the  death,  since  we  last  met,  of  Dr.  Constantine  Hering,  Presi- 
dent of  the  convention  which  originated  the  organization  of  the 
American  Institute  of  Homoeopathy.  In  the  midst  of  labors  from 
which,  for  over  fifty  years,  he  had  never  rested,  he  quietly  fell 
asleep.  I could  hardly  feel  that  this  was  an  occasion  for  mourn- 
ing, for  he  had  been  with  us  more  than  half  a score  of  years  be- 
yond the  allotted  time  of  man ; and  this  long,  this  spotless  life 
had  been  one  of  usefulness  and  unremitting  labor  in  the  cause  he 
loved  to  the  very  end.  The  results  of  the  labor  of  his  later  years 
are  living,  and  will  live  to  aid  us  and  those  who  come  after  us 
in  the  work  to  which  our  lives  are  being  devoted.  We  should 
rejoice  that  through  all  his  long  and  active  life  not  a truthful 
word  had  ever  been  uttered  that  could  reflect  on  his  character  as 
a man,  as  a Christian,  and  that  at  the  last  his  death  was  peace- 
ful, calm,  and  free  from  protracted  suffering.  We  should  rejoice 
that  his  troubles,  for  he  had  sorrows — sorrows  hard  to  bear,  too 
— are  at  an  end,  and  that  there  is  before  him  an  eternity  of  hap- 
piness, for  I believe  of  such  as  he  is  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven. 
Others  of  us,  noble  men  and  true,  dear  to  their  families,  friends 
and  clientage,  have  died  since  we  last  met  together,  but  this 
pioneer  was  dear  to  us  all,  honored  by  us  all,  and  he  will  be  re- 
membered by  us  all,  and  our  children  will  be  taught  to  honor 
his  memory. 

At  the  opening  of  the  memorial  service,  Dr.  Henry  D. 
Paine  spoke  as  follows : 

On  this  occasion  our  thoughts  naturally  recur  to  that  great 
bereavement  which  our  school,  especially  this  Institute,  has  suf- 


337 


fered  since  our  last  session,  and  in  commemoration  of  which, 
it  is  understood,  we  are  now  called  together.  The  name  of 
Constantine  Hering  is  so  closely  identified  with  the  history  of 
Homoeopathy,  his  figure  stands  out  so  prominently  in  the  prog- 
ress of  our  art,  and  his  writings  have  exerted  so  wide  an  influ- 
ence in  its  development,  that  his  death,  though  at  the  end  of  so 
long  a career,  could  not  but  produce  a profound  impression 
throughout  our  extremest  ranks.  It  is  eminently  proper  that  an 
event  so  important  and  impressive  should  be  distinguished  by  a 
special  solemnity.  My  feeble  tribute  to  his  memory  has  been 
already  offered. 

There  are  those  present  far  better  able  to  speak,  not  only  of 
his  public  and  lasting  services  to  the  cause  to  which  so  much  of 
his  life  was  devoted,  but  of  those  rare  virtues  that  shone  so  con- 
spicuously in  his  private  relations.  I am  anxious  to  hear  from 
them. 

Dr.  J.  C.  Morgan,  of  Philadelphia,  then  said  : 

Having  already  exhausted  such  reflections  as  seem  worthy 
of  our  deceased  colleague,  Dr.  Hering,  in  connection  with 
our  two  Philadelphia  meetings,  I had  thought  to  remain  silent 
here.  It  may  explain  the  backwardness  of  other  Philadelphia 
members,  perhaps,  to  say  that  this  is  the  case  with  many  of 
them : they  feel,  too,  that  they  have  passed  the  subject  of  his 
death  into  the  more  sacred  precincts  of  the  memory.  The  re- 
vival of  it  here  by  us,  you  will  therefore  understand,  is  attended 
with  something  like  the  pain  that  one  has  in  the  uncovering  of 
an  old  and  partly  healed  wound,  or  one,  at  least,  which  has  be- 
come quiet ; my  colleagues  from  Philadelphia  have,  however,  re- 
quested me  to  introduce  this  subject  of  such  national  interest. 
Permit  me,  then,  to  make  reference  to  my  personal  acquaintance 
with  Dr.  Hering.  I will  commence  with  one  point,  very  import- 
ant to  me  personally,  by  saying  that  in  boyhood,  when  Dr. 
Hering  was  yet  in  the  vigor  of  his  youth,  I was  taken  to  him  for 
22 


338 


the  purpose  of  medical  treatment  by  a friend  of  his,  one  of  his 
early  supporters,  and  also  a friend  of  my  own,  Mrs.  Rev.  Dr. 
Bedell,  and  my  recollection  of  the  prescriptions  made  by  Dr. 
Hering  is  that  they  were  eminently  successful.  We  had  no  further 
personal  relations  for  very  many  years.  In  the  meantime  I had 
become  a physician  of  the  old  school,  later  of  the  homoeopathic 
school.  Even  then  my  acquaintance  with  Dr.  Hering  was  not 
renewed  ; this  was  partly  owing  to  the  fact  that  those  from  whom 
I had  just  derived  my  impressions  of  Homoeopathy  were  his  op- 
ponents ; as  Dr.  Helmuth  so  finely  mentioned  last  night  in  his 
poem,  “ They  have  had  disagreements  in  Philadelphia,  the  city 
of  brotherly  love.”  It  so  happefted  that  I learned  my  Homoe- 
opathy along  with  antagonism  to  Dr.  Hering.  I was  taught  to 
believe  that  he  was  a visionary,  to  use  the  words  of  my  infor- 
mant, “ an  eccentric.”  I,  therefore,  in  all  the  pride  of  my  youth, 
and  with  my  but  half  regenerate  allopathic  mind,  refrained  from 
making  his  acquaintance,  and  I will  add  that  I am  heartily 
ashamed  to  have  to  say  it.  I was,  however,  introduced  to  Dr. 
Hering  without  my  own  knowledge,  and  in  a way  most  character- 
istic of  himself. 

My  home  was  in  Illinois,  a thousand  miles  from  his.  I made 
a two  weeks’  proving  of  Gelsemium,  published  in  Dr.  Shipman’s 
Journal  of  Materia  Medica.  Dr.  Hering’s  peculiarity  was  that 
he  would  seize  upon  provings  wherever  he  found  them,  and  with 
the  skill  of  the  anatomist  would  dissect  them,  and  determine 
their  essential  points.  It  was  my  good  fortune,  therefore,  to 
meet  Dr.  Hering’s  skill  in  the  discussion  of  my  proving  of  that 
drug.  That  is  to  say,  he  found  therein  the  now  historical  symp- 
tom, viz.,  that  depressing  emotions  produce  a tendency  to  diar- 
rhoeic  disturbance  of  the  intestinal  canal. 

It  was  observed  by  me  in  April,  1861,  on  reading  the  telegrams 
of  the  firing  on  Fort  Sumpter ; these  so  disturbed  me  that  I gave 
up  the  proving,  and  stated  it  as  a fact  that  the  telegrams  pro- 
duced the  effect.  But  Dr.  Hering,  with  the  sagacity  which  was 
so  peculiar  to  him,  w7ith  that  keen  eye  and  that  analytical  skill 


339 


in  Materia  Medica  in  which  he  was  facile  princeps,  seized  upon 
the  very  thing  which  I thought  was  vitiating  the  proving ; said 
he,  “There  is  the  grand  characteristic  of  the  drug.”  Years  later, 
after  I had  returned  to  Philadelphia  and  become  acquainted  with 
him  and  others  associated  with  him,  I found  that  it  had  been 
erected  into  what  is  now  called  a key-note.  He  gave  me  back  my 
finding ; and  there  are  a thousand  other  such  gems  that  we  owe  to 
Dr.  Hering.  In  this  way,  then,  he  had  become  acquainted  with 
me,  and  when  I met  him  in  the  college,  he  was  prepared,  and  I 
was  prepared  to  form,  as  we  did  form,  a warm  and  sympathetic 
friendship.  I soon  found  out  that  I had  been  utterly  misled  in 
regard  to  the  character — the  intellectual  character,  I mean,  of 
Dr.  Hering;  no  one  dared  breathe  anything  other  than  pro- 
found respect  for  his  moral  character.  I have  to  say  here,  ladies 
and  gentlemen,  that  I believe  Dr.  Hering  has  been  unfortunately 
misunderstood  in  this  respect.  He  had  his  own  peculiarities ; to 
some  he  may  have  seemed,  perhaps,  sometimes  disagreeable; 
those  who  have  suffered  from  that  have,  no  doubt,  buried  the 
recollection  of  it  in  his  grave ; but  the  idea  of  Dr.  Hering  being 
backward  in  attending  to  the  progress  of  research  and  science, 
the  idea  that  Dr.  Hering  was  at  all  a visionary,  in  the  bad 
sense,  is  a great  mistake,  a great  unconscious  slander  upon  the 
memory  of  his  intellectual  greatness.  As  a matter  of  fact,  Dr. 
Hering  was  always  foremost  in  our  school  in  recognizing  every 
forward  movement.  There  is  not  a single  one  of  the  recent  ad- 
vances in  science  of  which  he  had  not,  before  any  of  his  co- 
laborers, learned  something,  and  it  has  commonly  happened,  dur- 
ing the  past  fifteen  years,  that  when  something  new  came  up,  and 
I have  gone  to  his  office,  I found  that  he  had  already  become 
cognizant  of  the  details  of  the  subject.  Some  of  my  first  infor- 
mation in  regard  to  the  recent  revelations  of  the  spectroscope 
came,  to  my  surprise,  from  his  lips.  Whatsoever  had  a bearing 
upon  Homoeopathy  had  for  him  a religious  savor,  and  appeared 
to  him  in  all  the  sanctity  of  a Divine  revelation ; so  that  if  he 
were  ever  intolerant,  it  was  with  the  inspiration  of  the  Crusader, 


340 


fighting  for  the  Holy  Sepulchre  against  the  infidel,  or  of  the 
Covenanter,  defending  his  Bible  in  the  mountain  passes  of  his 
native  land. 

My  acquaintance  with  Hr.  Hering,  in  a social  way,  and  more 
especially  in  relation  to  the  college  faculty,  was  exceedingly 
pleasant  as  a rule.  We  did  not  always  agree,  that  could  not  be 
expected;  but  throughout  we  maintained  that  mutual  respect  and 
affection  which  I am  glad  to  recall  to-day.  The  faculty  meetings, 
held  usually  in  his  office,  in  deference  to  his  years,  were  really 
club  meetings  in  their  social  aspect.  They  were  all  that  we  de- 
sire in  a social  club,  and  he  was  the  illuminator  of  the  club, 
always  ready  with  some  matter  of  interest  and  novelty,  always 
ready  to  give  of  his  rich  store  of  medical  information,  always 
ready  w7ith  some  new  point  in  general  science  with  which  to 
interest  our  minds,  and  valuable,  either  in  society  or  in  our  pro- 
fessional duties ; many  a key-note,  as  we  call,  it  in  the  Materia 
Medica,  have  I received  from  him  in  this  way.  Indeed,  it  was 
my  practice,  in  these  frequent  convocations  with  Hering, 
Guernsey,  Lippe,  Baue,  etc.,  to  have  a little  memorandum  book 
and  my  lead  pencil  ready,  and  often  as  these  golden  nuggets  of 
homoeopathic  experience  fell  from  the  lips  of  these  experts,  I re- 
corded them ; and  I think  no  one  furnished  them  more  frequently 
than  Hr.  Hering.  This  note-book  became  part  and  parcel  of  my 
capital  in  professional  work.  The  matter  that  I am  speaking  of 
I would  not  part  with  for  any  consideration.  Such,  then,  was 
our  relation  in  the  faculty.  We  all  looked  upon  him,  as  a matter 
of  course,  as  our  paterfamilias,  and  he  so  regarded  himself; 
would  sometimes,  indeed,  claim  a little  supremacy,  and  thought 
that  he  might  be  privileged  to  talk  to  the  rest  of  us  as  to  the 
“ youngsters  of  the  faculty .” 

Once  it  was  said  to  him,  “ Hoctor  Hering,  these  youngsters  are 
all  about  forty  years  of  age  and  upwards.”  “ Boys  of  forty ! ” he 
exclaimed,  in  jocular  contempt,  and  so  gained  his  point ; we  were 
alwrays  willing  enough  to  be  considered  by  him  as  “boys  of  forty,” 
and  in  this  way  we  got  along  happily,  yielding  to  his  supremacy 


341 


and  always  profiting  by  it.  In  his  last  days,  fellow-members  of 
the  Institute,  Dr.  liering’s  heart-life  seemed  to  undergo  a special 
development;  the  Philadelphia  members  here  present  under- 
stand what  I mean.  He  was  born  with  the  century ; the  first  day 
of  January,  1800,  witnessed  his  advent  into  this  world;  and  as 
the  year  1880  dawned,  he  reached  his  eightieth  anniversary.  Dr. 
Hering  realized  now  that  the  end  of  his  time  was  nearing.  He 
made  all  arrangements  in  regard  to  his  literary  work — and  that 
work,  let  me  assure  the  profession,  is  in  able  hands,  and  will  be 
issued  as  he  would  have  it.  This  done,  he  seemed  to  cling,  as 
never  before,  to  those  who  had  surrounded  him  during  the  past 
years.  He  desired  that  we  should  come  often  to  see  him ; to 
some,  as  to  me,  he  said,  “ Here  is  my  study  (many  of  you  know 
it — on  the  second  floor  of  his  house),  you  have  the  entree  at  all 
times — come  right  up  stairs  and  knock.”  This  was,  of  course,  a 
great  privilege,  of  which  we  were  not  slow  to  avail  ourselves, 
and  to  myself  they  were  occasions  of  great  satisfaction.  The 
clinging  of  the  dear  old  man  to  these  friends,  and  to  me  among 
the  rest,  at  this  time,  was  touching,  and  I,  for  one,  tried  to  be 
faithful  to  his  last  days,  my  only  regret  being  that  I had  not 
seen  him  for  three  weeks  at  the  time  of  his  decease.  I think  that 
every  one  of  our  members  from  Philadelphia  will  bear  me  out  in 
saying  that  the  kindliest  recollections  of  Dr.  Hering  are  those 
of  the  last  six  months  of  his  life. 

Dr.  J.  P.  Dake,  of  Nashville,  next  spoke  as  follows,  hav- 
ing first  made  a motion,  which  was  carried,  limiting  each 
speaker  to  five  minutes : 

Mr.  President: — I desire  to  say  a few  words  in  regard  to  the 
character  and  labors  of  our  deceased  brother,  the  father  of  Ho- 
moeopathy in  America,  Dr.  Constantine  Hering.  And  in  speak- 
ing with  regard  to  him  it  is  understood,  perhaps,  by  all  who  are 
present,  that  I was  among  those  who  differed  with  Dr.  Hering, 
pointedly  and  decidedly  upon  several  matters,  and  I feel  that  it  is 


342 


therefore  the  more  fitting  that  I should,  upon  this  occasion,  say 
something.  In  Dr.  Hering  I recognized,  as  I doubt  not  every 
one  here  present  did  recognize,  a genius  in  medicine,  and  not  only 
a genius  in  medicine,  but  a master- workman  in  medicine.  Rich  in 
new  thoughts,  he  was  industrious  in  the  application  and  working 
out  of  those  thoughts.  Dr.  Hering  has  added  to  our  Materia 
Medica  many  things  of  great  value.  Those  things  will  remain, 
and  the  passing  years  will  increase  their  importance.  They  will 
be  comprehended  more  and  more.  But  Dr.  Hering  was  mortal ; 
Dr.  Hering  was  fallible ; not  all  of  his  opinions  can  we  accept, 
nor  can  we  appreciate  the  value  of  all  that  he  has  added  to  the 
Materia  Medica;  but  we,  in  the  homoeopathic  school,  have  been 
taught  to  think  independently,  to  think  for  ourselves,  to  weigh 
all  things  and  form  our  opinions  in  regard  to  them.  We  learned 
early,  as  did  Hahnemann,  who  taught  us  to  disregard  authority 
when  authority  was  not  in  accord  with  facts  and  with  science. 
Therefore,  in  taking  the  works  and  products  left  to  us  by  Dr. 
Hering,  it  becomes  us  not  to  accept  them  as  revelations  from 
above,  as  perfect  in  all  respects,  but  to  accept  them  as  contribu- 
tions to  truth,  and  opinions  put  before  us  for  our  consideration 
and  our  use,  in  the  light  that  is  given  us  from  all  quarters.  We 
are  not  expected,  therefore,  to  accept  all  of  Dr.  Hering’&  works 
and  all  of  his  teachings  as  authoritative,  not  to  be  differed  from 
at  all.  What  was  defective  and  erroneous  in  the  opinions  and 
works  of  Dr.  Hering  will  pass  away.  No  amount  of  veneration 
for  him,  no  amount  of  appreciation  for  his  genius,  nor  his  industry, 
will  require  us  to  hold  on  to  those  things  which  experience  and 
increasing  light  and  knowledge  do  not  endorse  and  sustain. 

Dr.  H.  M.  Smith,  of  New  York  City,  was  the  next 
speaker ; he  said : 

Dr.  Dake  seems  to  have  been  cut  short  in  the  expression  of 
his  feelings  in  regard  to  Dr.  Hering.  When  he  moved  that  the 
time  be  limited  to  five  minutes  to  each  speaker,  he  must  have 


343 


known  that  he  could  not  have  expressed  his  feelings  in  so  short  a 
time.  I could  not  imagine  any  occasion  on  which  I could  not  have 
something  to  say  about  Dr.  Constantine  Hering,  but  in  five  min- 
utes I don’t  know  where  to  begin  any  more  than  I know  where  I 
shall  end.  I can  only  give  expression  to  my  feelings  and  my 
veneration  for  that  man.  As  a young  man  in  the  profession,  I 
cannot  but  think  kindly  of  the  many  happy  and  instructive  inter- 
views I have  had  with  him.  When  the  American  Homoeopathic 
Review  was  in  existence,  we  received  a great  many  contributions 
and  a great  deal  of  assistance  from  Dr.  Hering,  and  it  was  our 
custom  to  spend  one  or  two  days  with  him  every  summer.  Dr. 
Carroll  Dunham,  Dr.  P.  P.  Wells  and  myself  went  on  there  to 
meet  the  homoeopathic  physicians  from  various  sections  of  the 
country,  and  in  his  study,  that  Dr.  Morgan  speaks  of,  the  recol- 
lections come  back  to  me  of  many  pleasant  and  instructive  hours, 
and  it  is  pleasant  to  recall  the  merry  laugh  and  cheery  face  of 
Dr.  Hering,  when  giving  us  some  information  or  relating  an 
anecdote.  I went  in  one  day  to  see  him  especially  in  regard  to 
Digitalis.  He  had  written  an  article  in  the  Review  on  Digitalis, 
the  second  part  of  which  was  never  published.  He  was  never 
ready  to  publish  it  because  some  proofs  were  wanting  he  was 
obliged  to  get  from  a convent  or  monastery  in  Italy.  After  some 
casual  remarks  I said,  “ Dr.  Hering,  I came  to  see  you  especially 
in  regard  to  that  article  on  Digitalis ; when  can  you  give  me 
half  an  hour?”  “ Quarter  of  four  to-morrow  morning,”  said  he. 
Accordingly,  the  following  morning  I was  in  Dr.  Hering’s  li- 
brary. The  old  gentleman  slept  there.  He  had  arisen  from  his 
couch,  and  was  reading.  He  directed  me  to  sit  down,  and  to 
write  what  he  dictated  to  me.  That  was  the  way  that  Dr.  Her- 
ing worked,  careful  to  obtain  sufficient  proof  before  making 
statements  as  facts,  and  always  ready  to  assist  everybody  who 
sought  information. 


344 


Dr.  F.  R.  McManus,  of  Baltimore,  said: 

Mr.  President  and  Gentlemen : 

I wish  to  state  a little  incident  that  occurred  in  the  early  part 
of  my  homoeopathic  investigation  and  career.  I went  from  Balti- 
more to  Philadelphia  in  search  of  an  allopathic  physician  who 
had  practiced  both  systems,  and  I found  one ; I went  to  another 
physician  afterwards,  who  was  Dr.  Hering.  I introduced  myself 
to  Dr.  Hering  as  Dr.  McManus,  of  Baltimore.  I told  him  the 
object  of  my  visit,  and  he  said,  “ I am  very  glad  to  see  you,  but 
you  have  happened  to  call  at  a time  when  I am  attending  to  my 
consultations ; take  a seat  there  for  a few  moments,  when  I will 
talk  to  you.”  Well,  I waited  until  he  got  through,  and  I said  to 
him,  “ Doctor,  I noticed  you  referring  to  your  books  and  volumes 
from  the  library  in  every  case  in  which  you  prescribe.”  “Yes,” 
said  he,  “ and  no  man  will  be  the  right  kind  of  a homoeopathic 
physician  who  does  not  do  it,  for  there  never  was  a brain,  in  my 
opinion,  that  could  ever  contain  the  one-hundredth  part  of  what 
it  ought  to  hold  to  enable  one  to  practice  without  studying  every 
case ; every  case  is  a new  one.”  I told  him  it  seemed  to  be  a work 
of  a great  deal  of  labor.  “Well,”  said  he,  “wThen  you  come  to 
study  Homoeopathy,  you  will  find  out  the  difference  in  the  two 
schools  in  regard  to  the  means  and  facility  to  practice,  because  an 
allopathic  physician  can  prescribe  for  forty  cases  where  a homoeo- 
path would  hardly  be  able  to  prescribe  for  two  or  three,  or  per- 
haps one.”  I merely  mention  this  because  it  will  stimulate  the 
younger  members  of  the  profession  to  individualize  and  study 
their  cases  closely,  as  it  has  always  stimulated  me  in  my  forty- 
three  years  of  homoeopathic  investigation  and  practice.  It  has 
been  to  my  advantage  to  do  so,  and,  of  course,  much  to  the  ad- 
vantage of  Homoeopathy.  I hold  his  memory  in  the  sweetest 
recollection,  and  I am  glad  that  I cannot  say  anything  that  will 
throw  the  slightest  cloud  upon  his  efficiency  as  a physician,  or  his 
adherence  to  Hahnemann  as  a homoeopathist. 


345 


Dr.  T.  C.  Duncan,  of  Chicago,  next  spoke  as  follows: 

Mr.  President  and  Gentlemen  : 

I cannot  allow  this  opportunity  to  pass  without  presenting  my 
deep  regret  for  the  death  of  our  distinguished  father  of  Homoe- 
opathy in  the  United  States,  and  the  impression  made  upon  me 
by  his  loss  will  deepen  as  the  years  glide  on.  I think  the 
one  thing  that  will  impress  the  profession  more  than  anything 
else,  is  the  exhaustive  power  of  Dr.  Hering  in  gathering  together 
the  fund  of  information  that  was  scattered  here  and  there  in  our 
medical  writiugs.  He  was  the  one  individual  of  the  whole  world 
of  Homoeopathy  that  gathered  together  all  facts,  and  it  is  per- 
fectly wonderful  what  he  has  accumulated,  and  it  seems  to  me 
very  proper  that  some  one  should  take  this  up  and  continue  it. 

Various  facts  are  coming  out  bearing  upon  Materia  Medica 
and  Therapeutics  that  will  be  lost  except  some  one  gather  them 
together  as  did  Hering.  Dr.  Hering  has  made  a noble  begin- 
ning. He  has,  I believe,  in  his  library,  or  did  have  them  at  the 
time  of  the  Centennial,  every  fact  bearing  upon  Homoeopathic 
Materia  Medica  extant.  His  memory  will  be  bright  forever. 
I hold  him  in  high  regard,  and  his  influence  upon  the  cause  in 
the  United  States  I think  we  cannot  too  highly  appreciate. 

Dr.  Fisher,  of  Montreal,  Canada,  said : 

I will  not  take  up  the  time  very  long,  but  still,  while  we  are 
on  the  subject,  I may  mention  that  before  I commenced  practice 
on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  on  my  way  back  from  Europe,  I 
called  at  Philadelphia  and  saw  Dr.  Hering,  and  one  of  the  things 
which  he  then  mentioned  and  which  I thought  characteristic,  I 
was  very  much  struck  with,  and  I have  often  thought  of  it  since. 
He  said,  “ When  I come  to  the  bed-side  of  a patient  I very  often 
feel  like  a fool.”  Now,  such  has  been  the  result  of  my  own  ex- 
perience on  many  occasions.  I have  often  looked  back  and 
thought  of  that  fact,  which  has  encouraged  me  to  go  on,  notwith- 


346 


standing  I felt  for  a moment  like  a fool.  There  was  another 
thing  struck  me  at  the  time  somewhat.  We  were  speaking  about 
somebody  else,  another  medical  man.  “ Well,”  said  he,  “he  is  a 
queer  fellow,  but  wTe  are  all  queer.”  Well,  that  also  struck  me, 
and  I have  often  thought  since  that  most  of  men  are  dreadfully 
frightened  by  what  the  world  calls  eccentricity.  Now,  it  has 
often  occurred  to  me  that  no  man  can  be  really  original  without 
being  more  or  less  eccentric.  He  may  be  eccentric  without  being 
original,  but  the  effect  of  that  eccentricity,  no  doubt,  keeps  a 
good  many  of  us  from  doing  things  which  we  would  otherwise 
like  to  do. 

Dr.  I.  T.  Talbot,  of  Boston,  spoke  next : 

I cannot  let  an  occasion  like  this  go  by  without  dropping  one 
tribute  of  memory  to  a great  man,  for  I believe  Dr.  Hering  was 
really  great.  The  memory  of  his  kindness  to  students  and  young 
men,  the  memory  of  the  kindness  of  Dr.  Hering  to  myself,  wTho 
had  no  special  claims  upon  him  in  any  way,  is  pleasant  to  con- 
template. Soon  after  I had  graduated,  about  to  visit  Europe, 
I was  recommended  by  Dr.  Carroll  Dunham  to  get  some  letters 
from  Dr.  Hering  to  physicians  living  abroad,  and  assuring  me 
that  he  would  be  willing  to  give  them,  I called  upon  him  in 
Philadelphia.  He  was  busy  at  the  time,  and  said,  “ Come  to  me 
to-night  and  I will  be  happy  to  see  you.”  “ At  what  time  shall  I 
come?”  “Well,  I shall  get  through  my  work  about  10  o’clock; 
come  then.”  I went  there.  He  had  two  friends  with  him  who 
were  also  acquainted  in  Europe  and  whom  he  had  brought  there 
for  the  special  purpose  of  seeing  me.  From  10  p.m.  until  3 a.m. 
was  spent  in  talking  of  European  affairs — of  what  could  be  of 
benefit  to  me  in  my  trip  abroad — a sacrifice  on  his.  part  of  sleep, 
of  rest,  for  an  entire  stranger,  which  we  could  hardly  suppose 
any  one  would  make  on  such  an  occasion.  Having  made  a list 
of  letters  which  he  proposed  to  give,  he  the  next  day  sent  me  six 
to  prominent  persons  in  Europe,  old  Dr.  Stapf  being  one  of  them. 


847 


The  letters  were  of  great  service  to  me,  and  the  kindness  ex- 
tended by  each  of  them  I place  as  a tribute  to  the  memory  of 
Dr.  Hering,  and  I venerate  that  great  heart,  that  noble  spirit, 
that  could  give  so  much  to  a young  man  without  any  claims 
upon  him. 


Dr.  P.  G.  Valentine,  of  St.  Louis,  then  rose  and  said: 

It  seems  that  what  has  been  spoken  in  reference  to  Dr.  Hering 
this  morning  has  been  mostly  of  the  nature  of  personal  remini- 
scences of  him.  I think  that  only  once  was  it  my  pleasure  to 
meet  him,  and  that  was  when  attending  the  Centennial  meeting 
in  Philadelphia.  As  he  entered  the  door  and  passed  down  the 
aisle  he  was  cheered  by  all  the  members  present.  He  came  upon 
the  stand  and  took  his  seat  beside  the  others  there,  the  English 
gentlemen,  etc.  But  my  acquaintance  with  Dr.  Hering  was  en- 
tirely through  the  Materia  Medica.  I wish  to  say  that  through 
that  work  I have  learned  to  venerate  and  admire  him.  The 
question  with  us  in  St.  Louis,  when  any  point  in  Materia  Materia 
is  raised,  is,  what  does  Dr.  Hering  say?  I have  no  personal 
recollections  of  him.  The  only  way  I learned  to  love  him  was 
through  the  Materia  Medica. 


Dr.  M.  M.  Eaton,  of  Cincinnati,  said : 

It  has  not  been  my  privilege  to  have  had  a personal  acquaint- 
ance with  Dr.  Hering,  and  I can  only  say  that  I feel  that  one  of 
our  greatest  men  has  passed  away.  I feel  that  he  has  left  a 
record  behind  him  worthy  of  emulation,  and  it  struck  me  that 
we  should  profit  by  the  example  which  he  has  set,  that  we  should 
each  endeavor  to  do  something  to  add  to  the  storehouse  of  knowl- 
edge for  those  who  may  come  after.  It  strikes  me  that  upon  oc- 
casions of  this  kind  we  should  make  such  resolves  as  to  our  future 
course  as  may  benefit  mankind. 


348 


Dr.  S.  B.  Beckwith,  of  Cincinnati,  said: 

I would  like  to  hear  from  our  President. 

Dr.  J.  W.  Dowling,  of  New  York,  here  said: 

The  President  has  already  spoken  in  his  Annual  Address  all 
that  he  can  say  on  the  subject  of  the  death  of  our  dear  friend, 
Dr.  Hering,  and  he  has  also  alluded  to  others  who  have  died. 
Those  words  are  on  record.  I hardly  think  that  I would  say 
anything  different  or  add  anything  to  what  I said  upon  that 
occasion. 

This  to  me  has  been  an  exceedingly  interesting  and  solemn 
service.  I feel  that  it  has  been  so  to  all,  and  I hope  that  when 
others  of  us  depart,  the  members  who  are  left  behind  will  be  able 
to  say  as  many  kind  and  good  words  with  regard  to  us  as  have 
been  said  of  Dr.  Hering,  our  departed  brother. 

Dr.  Wm.  von  Gottschalk,  of  Providence,  was  the  last 
speaker;  he  said: 

Mr.  President  and  Fellow-Members : — 

I wish  to  say  a few  words  of  Dr.  Hering  as  a German.  As 
there  are  no  Germans  here  to  speak  about  him  or  in  his  memory, 
I thought  it  was  finally  my  duty,  after  so  many  different  Ameri- 
cans have  spoken  in  the  praise  of  that  most  peculiar  man,  to  give 
my  tribute  to  his  character  in  a different  way.  I saw  Dr.  Hering 
first  in  1852,  when  I was  an  old  school  practitioner  in  the  city  of 
New  York.  I was  then  induced  to  try  Homoeopathy.  I still 
looked  upon  Homoeopathy  as  a peculiar  quackery,  and  I wanted 
to  see  the  greatest  quack  of  them  all.  Dr.  Hering  being  a coun- 
tryman of  mine,  I visited  him,  and  he  struck  me  peculiarly.  He 
encouraged  me  in  Homoeopathy  more  than  any  other  man  I ever 
met,  and  he  probably  was  the  sole  cause  of  my  becoming  a com- 
plete homoeopath,  and  I owe  to  him  and  to  his  influence  my  posi- 
tion in  Homoeopathy  to-day.  What  I want  to  allude  to  now  in 


349 


particular  is  his  distinguishing  German  characteristics.  As  a 
scholar  he  was  a thorough  German,  and  in  his  family  relations 
he  was  a thorough  German.  I know  that  when  in  1876  I came 
to  his  house,  the  moment  I entered  he  called  me  by  name.  He 
called  me  the  Yankee-Dutchman,  and  wanted  me  to  sit  down 
and  take  a glass  of  wine  with  him.  Now,  in  response  to  his  re- 
quest, I went  out  into  the  back  yard  of  his  house,  where  there 
was  a little  arbor,  and  under  this  arbor  the  table  spread  for  the 
family,  and  as  a friend  I sat  down  there  to  speak  to  him. 

On  the  table  were  familiar  German  dishes,  and  the  hospi- 
tality of  a German  was  extended.  It  was  a delight  to  be  there 
and  receive  the  hospitality  of  that  man.  He  was  a true  German 
in  all  his  habits  to  the  very  last  moments  of  his  life.  I wish 
somebody  else,  better  able  and  better  qualified  in  the  use  of  the 
English  than  I am,  would  pay  a proper  tribute  to  him  in  this 
regard.  You  see  other  Germans  generally  become  Americanized. 
Dr.  Hering  always  adhered  to  his  Fatherland  habits,  a thing 
which  I have  not  done.  But  I respect  him  for  this  peculiar 
characteristic,  that  in  all  his  life  he  remained  as  he  was  born 
— a German. 


TRIBUTE  FROM  ITALY. 

Dr.  Pompili,  of  Rome,  on  behalf  of  the  Italian  practi- 
tioners of  Homoeopathy,  has  requested  the  publication  of 
the  following  tribute,  to  which  is  appended  a translation 
kindly  furnished  by  Dr.  Horace  Howard  Furness : 


350 


Constantino  Hering 
Artis  Medico  Doctori  eximio 
post  Hahnemannum  Magistrum 

SUiE  SCHOLJE  PRINCIPI  AC  DECORI  PR.ECIPUO 
QUI 

DOCTRINA  EDITISQUE  DE  HOMCEOPATHIA  VOLUMINIBUS 
UBIQUE  TERRA RUM 

YERI  CUPIDOS  DOCUIT,  DOCET  ET  DOCEBIT 
JOACHIMUS  POMPILIUS  IN  IJRBE  M.D. 
suo  Italu&que  Homceopathicorum  nomine 

OB  TANTUM  VlRUM  AMISSUM  MCERENTISSIMUS 

Honoris  Memorijeque  ergo 


INSCRIBIT  ET  DICAT. 


351 


To 

Constantine  Hering 

THE  EXCELLENT  DOCTOR  OF  MEDICINE 
NEXT  AFTER  THE  MASTER,  HAHNEMANN, 

the  Chief  and  pre-eminent  ornament  of  his  School 
who 

IN  WORD  AND  IN  PRINT  BY  HIS  DISCOVERIES  IN  HOMCEOPATHY 
TEACHES,  HAS  TAUGHT  AND  WILL  TEACH 
ALL  WHO  ARE  DESIROUS  OF  TRUTH  THROUGHOUT  THE  WORLD 

this  Tribute 

to  the  Honor  and  to  the  Memory  of  a Man  thus  lost 

and 

MOST  DEEPLY  MOURNED 
IS  BY 

Joachim  Pompili,  M.D., 

IN  HIS  OWN  NAME  AND  IN  THE  NAME  OF 

the  Practitioners  of  Homceopathy  in  Italy 


INSCRIBED  AND  DEDICATED. 


352 


OBITUARY  NOTICES. 

Of  the  numerous  obituary  notices  which  appeared  in 
the  daily  papers,  and  in  the  various  medical  journals 
throughout  the  world,  only  a few  of  the  foreign  ones  are 
published  as  indicating  the  esteem  and  veneration  in 
which  the  subject  of  this  Memoir  was  held  in  other  than 
the  two  great  English-speaking  nations,  and  especially 
in  his  own  dear  fatherland. 

In  La  Reforma  Medica,  organ  of  the  Mexican  Homoeo- 
pathic Institute,  published  in  Mexico,  the  following*  ap- 
peared in  the  issue  of  September  25th,  1880: 

When,  full  of  satisfaction,  in  the  preceding  number  of  this 
organ,  we  gave  to  our  readers  the  statistical  data  showing  the 
progressive  march  of  Homoeopathy  in  our  neighboring  Republic, 
how  far  were  we  from  imagining,  that  at  that  time  had  already 
descended  to  the  grave  the  illustrious  physician,  the  veuerable 
apostle,  introducer  and  propagator  of  the  medical  reform  in  the 
United  States,  the  eminent  man,  who,  for  his  great  works  in  be- 
half of  our  cause,  was  called  the  Hahnemann  of  America,  and 
to  whom  the  love  and  veneration  of  all  the  homoeopathists  of 
that  nation  had  given  the  no  less  valuable  and  significant  title  of 
“Father  Hering.” 

Constantine  Hering  died  on  the  23d  of  July,  in  the  eighty-first 
year  of  his  age.  His  name  is  intimately  connected  with  the 
history  of  the  introduction  and  development  of  the  Hahnemanuian 
doctrines  in  the  United  States,  and  to  try  to  give  here  his  biog- 
raphy would  be  as  much  as  to  write  said  history.  There  is  not 
a city,  town,  village,  or  abode,  where  Homoeopathy  is  known, 


* Translated  from  the  Spanish  by  Dr.  E.  Fornias,  of  Philadelphia. 


353 


which  is  not  also  familiar  with  the  name  of  Dr.  Hering,  whose 
domestic  work  on  Homoeopathy,  printed  by  the  thousands  and 
in  numerous  editions,  translated  into  the  principal  languages, 
has  contributed  in  a profitable  manner  to  the  diffusion  of  this 
modern  system  of  medicine.  His  fruitful  studies  and  experi- 
ments with  the  snake  poisons,  which,  thanks  to  him,  are  to-day 
converted  into  valuable  therapeutic  agents;  his  constant  efforts 
in  the  revision  and  perfection  of  our  Materia  Medica ; his  abso- 
lute devotion  to  the  great  work  of  medical  regeneration  and  re- 
form ; his  writings  and  works  which  may  be  called  classic ; his 
exemplary  life  and  great  civic  virtues  make  Constantine  Hering 
a grand  figure  in  the  school  of  homoeopathic  medicine,  an  ex- 
ample to  follow,  and  his  loss  an  irreparable  one,  which  will  be 
lamented  by  all  who  respect  science  and  who  care  for  the  public 
welfare. 

The  Mexican  Homoeopathic  Institute  earnestly  unites  in  con- 
dolence with  the  homoeopathic  profession,  and  offers  its  modest 
tribute  to  the  imperishable  name  and  memory  of  Dr.  Constantine 
Hering. 

In  the  Allgemeine  Homceopathische  Zeitung,  published  in 
Leipzig,  in  the  issue  of  August  24th,  1880,  appeared  the 
following  * 

Cobesartjeige. 

2Bag  tm  2lnfange  biefeg  M cdg  falfdfjeg  ©eriicf)t  erroieg,  iff 

jetjt  gur  traurigen  SSirffic^feit  geroorben,  ber  2Utmeifter  Gonftantin 
Bering  in  $f)ilabelplpa  fjat  ber  S^atur  feinen  ^ribut  gejafjft.  @r 
ftarb  am  greitag,  ben  23.  $uli,  Stbenbg  10  Uljr  in  fei'ner  -JBofjnung, 
am  ^ergfcfjlage,  nac^bem  er  nodj  menige  ©tunben  corner  ^ranie 
empfangen  Ijatte.  ©ein  9lame  iff  un^ertrennlid)  mit  ber  ($efcf;id)te 
ber  §ombopat§ie  nerroadtfen.  2luggeftattet  mit  ungeroofjnlidjer  ©eifteg= 
fraft  unb  Ghtergie,  reicfj  an  -JBiffen,  fjat  er,  bag  glauben  mir  ofjne 
Ueber§ebung  befyaupten  gu  fonnen,  bag  SJteifte  £ur  SBefeftigung  unb 
23 


354 


SSerbreitung  ber  non  ifjm  erfarmten  fyomoopatf)ifd(jen  23af)rf)eit  beige= 
tragen.  ©in  ed)ter  $aulug,  §og  er  liber  ben  Dcean  unb  unter  3JUt§en 
unb  ©ntbefyrungen  prebigte  er  bie  neue  Sefjre.  Hnb  am  Slbenb  feineg 
Sebeng  fyatte  er  bie  greube,  biefelbe  in  feinem  neuen  $aterlanbe  in 
fefter  unb  geacf)teter  ©teEung  unb  non  Staufenben  non  2ler$ten  aug= 
gelibt  gu  fefjen.  $)ej3  ungeadjtet  gonnte  er  fid)  feine  9tuf)e,  fonbern 
mar  big  ^um  lenten  Slugenblide  unauggefettf  tfyatig.  $)er  Xob  iiber= 
rafdjte  iljn  bei  ber  ^enifion  beg  britten  SBanbeg  feineg  §auptmerfeg 
“Guiding  Symptoms.”  ©ein  Slnbenfen  mirb,  fo  lange  eg  nocf) 
f)omoopatl)ifd)e  2tergte  giebt,  ein  unnerganglidfjeg  fein.  $on  ifjm  gilt 
nor  2lllen  bag  2Bort:  „er  rufjet  aug  non  feiner  Slrbeit  unb  feine 
SSerfe  folgen  il)m  nacf)!" 

©inen  augfufyrlicfyeren  9?efrolog  merben  mir  in  einer  ber  nacfjften 
^ummern  bringen. 

A week  later  appeared  the  following : 

rtcfrolog. 

©iner  ber  bebeutenbften  unb  befannteften,  menn  nidfjt  berufjmteften 
beutfc^en  ^Burger  ^ilabelp^iag.  Dr.  ©onftantin  §ering,  ift  am 
greitag,  ben  23.  ^uli,  Slbenbg  10  Uf)r  bafelbft  in  feiner  SBofjnung  am 
§er§fd)lag  geftorben,  nur  menige  ©tunben  nad)  ber  £ran!enbe§anb= 
lung  in  ber  ©precfyftunbe,  alfo  in  roller  ^iiftung.  ©eit  faft  flinfgig 
3a^ren  gefjorte  berfelbe  gu  ben  fjernorragenbften  9Jtannern  ber  mebi= 
cinifdjen  2Biffenfcf)aft  in  ben  SSereinigten  ©taaten,  unb  nafjrn  gugleicf) 
in  bem  beutfcf)=amerifanifd)en  ©lement  eine  fyodf)geacf)tete  ©teEung  ein, 
burcl)  feine  lebljafte  unb  raftlofe  £l)eilnal)me  an  2lEem,  mag  beffen 
©teEung  unb  ©ntmidelung  fbrbern  unb  f)eben  lonnte.  2lEe  23eftre= 
bungen  im  SlEgemeinen  fur  miffenfdfjaftlicfjen,  fimftlerifdjen  unb 
focialen  gortfcfyritt  fatten  iiberfjaupt  in  if)tn  einen  entljufiaftifdfjen 
3Sertreter  unb  tfjatfraftigen,  Uberaten  Unterftu^er. 

Dr.  Bering  mar  am  1.  Sanuar  1800  in  Dfcf)al3  in  ©ad)fen  ge= 
boren,  alfo  bei  feinem  £ob  uber  80  3<*f)re  alt.  ^Dabei  aber  mar  er 
big  auf  ben  lenten  Xag  raftlog  in  feinem  23eruf  unb  in  feiner  2Biffen= 


355 


fdfjaft  tfjdtig,  unb  nocfj  immer  fur  adeg  ©djone,  2Bal)re  unb  ©ute  be= 
geiftert,  menn  er  fief)  and)  in  ben  lenten  S^^ren  megen  $rdnflidjjfeit 
mef)r  alg  fritter  non  bem  bffentlidfjen  Seben  gurudgegogen  fjatte.  @r 
fjatte  fid)  feine  geiftige  gugenbfrifcfye  big  gu  feinem  Xobe  erfyalten. 

0d)on  friif)  entmidelte  ber  33erftorbene  bie  groftte  33orliebe  fur 
^taturftubien,  unb  mibmete  fid)  nacf)  Slbfolnirung  beg  ©pmnafiumg  gu 
3ittau  auf  ber  d)irurgifcf)en  Slfabemie  gu  £)regben  unb  auf  ber  Uniner= 
fitat  Seipgig  ber  -Dtebicin.  £>ie  Slufgabe,  eine  2(b£)anblung  gegen 
bie  §omoopatljie  unb  gegen  beren  §auptnertreter  §afjnemann  gu 
fdfjreiben,  fufjrte  if)n  gum  iieferen  ©tubium  berfelben  unb  gur  53etef)= 
rung  bagu.  3n  feiner  ©oftor^iffertation  “De  Medicina  Futura” 
(iiber  bie  ^Rebicin  ber  3utaf0  trat  er  fur  biefelbe  auf.  2lm  23. 
3Jiarg  1826  nmrbe  er  Softer  ber  -Utebicin. 

@r  nafjm  algbann  eine  ©telle  alg  Sefjrer  ber  5Jtatfjematil  unb  ber 
^aturroiffenfdjaften  beim  Snftttut  23lod)mann  gu  $)regben  an,  erljielt 
aber  balb  bie  ©telle  eineg  2lffiftenten  bei  einer  miffenfdjaftlidjen 
pebition  nacf)  Surinam  in  ©iib=2lmerifa.  $)a  if)m  feine  fd)riftftederi= 
fcf)e  £f)atigfeit  alg  §ombopatf)  babei  unterfagt  murbe,  refignirte  er  unb 
murbe  praftifcljer  Slrgt  in  Paramaribo,  gm  $afjre  1833  auf  einer 
$8efud)greife  nad)  ®eutfcf)lanb  fam  er  nacf)  pi)ilabelpf)ia  unb  murbe 
gum  ©ableiben  oeranlaj^t,  erfjielt  fofort  eine  gute  Praxis  unb  murbe 
non  bem  beutfcfjen  §omoopatf)en  Dr.  2Beffelf)bft  neranlaf$t,  mit  if)m 
eine  f)omoopatl)ifdfje  21nftalt  gu  2ldentomn  gu  grunben,  mo  er  fid)  baitn 
mefjrere  3af)re  lang  auff)ielt.  Slug  biefer  ©cfjule  ging  bann  1846  bag 
l)ombopatl)ifd)e  College  gu  pijilabelpt)ia  pernor. 

£)urcf)  bie  @rricf)tung  beg  letjteren  murbe  Dr.  §ering  ber  eigent= 
lid^e  SBegrlinber  ber  §omoopatf)ie  in  Slmerifa,  unter  beren  Severn  unb 
©dfjriftftedern  er  eine  ber  erften  ©tedungen  einnafjm.  @r  fcfjrieb 
„Ueber  bie  ©ntftefjung  unb  ben  gortfdjritt  ber  ^omoopatfjie''  unb  mar 
Profeffor  ber  Slrgneifunbe  an  jener  Unioerfitdt  non  1846  big  1869 ; 
aufjerbem  mar  er  ©riinber  unb  Prafibent  beg  „21merifanifcf)en  3nfti= 
tutg  ber  ^omoopatfjie."  SDurcf)  feine  ©thrift  „S)er  §augargt"  macule 
er  fid^  fef)r  befannt  unb  popular,  ©ie  mar  urfprunglid)  beutfcf)  ge= 
fcf)rieben,  murbe  aber  balb  in  bag  @nglifd)e,  grangofifdje,  ©panifd)e 
unb  ^talienifd^e  iiberfe^t.  $n  1869  erridjtete  er  bag  amerifanifdje 
journal  ber  f)omoopatf)ifd^en  “ Materia  Medica.” 


356 


©e in  §auptroerf  aBer,  an  roeldjem  et  unau§gefe|t  arBeitete,  fiifjrt 
ben  ditel  “ Guiding  Symptoms”  (Seitenbe  ©pmptome)  unb  foil  bie 
(Eprafteriftif  jebes  SlrgneimittelS  geBen.  da§  2Berf  ift  auf  12  Big  15 
$anbe  Beredpet  unb  finb  baoon  erft  2 SBanbe  erfpenen.  dag 
Material  fiir  bie  uBrigen  ift  aBer  ber  2lrt  oorBereitet,  baf$  biefelBen 
non  2Inberen  prauggegeBen  roerben  fbnnen.  Dr.  §ering  roar 
gerabe  mit  ber  Sfeoifion  beg  britten  SBanbeg  Befdpftigt,  alg  ip  ber 
dob  liBerrafd^te. 

der  SSerftorBene  roar  ein  roapeg  Unioerfal=(35enie  unb  pdfjft  origin 
nett  in  feinen  2Infid)ten  unb  2Ieuprungen,  baBei  ein  9Jtamt  ftrengfter 
Gpenpftigfeit.  2In  ber  $olitif,  an  roelcpr  er  iiBrigeng  eBenfo,  roie 
an  Slttem,  bag  grope  gntereffe  ptte,  nafjm  er  actio  roenig  2lntpil. 
defto  mep  (eBte  er  ber  2Biffenfd;aft  unb  $unft;  mit  pdpter  £iBerali= 
tat  eroffnete  er  fein  §aug  alien  Bebeutenben  3Jtdnnern  ber  2Biffenfcpft 
unb  $unft,  bag  burcf)  feine  literarifdpn  unb  mufifalifcpn  Unterpb 
tungen  lange  ,3eit  einen  SDlittelpunft  geiftigen  SeBeng  unb  ©treBeng 
Bilbete.  21m  alten  SSaterlanb  unb  an  2lttem,  roag  deutfdfj  roar,  tying 
ber  23erftorBene  mit  enttyufiaftifctyer  $orlieBe.  die  beutfctyen  ©iege 
unb  bie  ©rrictytung  beg  beutfctyen  9teictyg  rourben  oon  itym  burcty  ein 
gropg  geft  in  feinem  an  einen  geraumigen  ©arten  ftofsenben  §aug,  in 
ber  groolften  ©trap,  oBertyalB  SIrcty,  gefeiert. 

Dr.  § e r i n g roar  breimal  oertyeir attyet ; feine  erfte  grau  piratpte 
er  in  ©urinam,  roo  fie  ftarB  unb  roo  nocty  ein  ©op  oon  itym  leBt. 
©eine  groeite  grau  roar  oon  ^S^ilabelp^ia,  bie  itym  brei  ^inber  tyinter* 
Iief$,  roooon  nocty  eine  dodtyter  leBt,  bie  in  Lofton  oerpiratpt  ift. 

1845  piratpte  er  in  deutfdtylanb  bie  doctyter  oon  Dr.  SBuctytyeim, 
einem  Beriitymten  2Irgt,  bie  itym  adtyt  ^inber  fctyenfte,  roooon  ip  fectyg 
neBft  ber  Gutter  iiBerleBen.  ©ein  altefter,  in  ^tyilabelptyia  leBenber 
©op,  9tubolf,  ift  Slffiftenb^ngenieur  im  ftabtifctyen  $ermeffungg= 
department,  unb  augenBlicflicty  auf  einer  Sfteife  in  Csuropa,  urn  bie 
tyiefigen  ©pfteme  ftabtifdtyer  Staffer  leitungen  §u  ftubiren. 

In  the  Homoopathische  Monatsblatter,  published  in  Stutt- 
gart, the  following  notice  appeared  in  the  issue  of  Octo- 
ber, 1880 : 


357 


H e f r o I o g. 

;3JJtt  roentgen  Shorten  fonnten  roir  nor  tner  2Bod§en  unferen  Sefern 
ben  am  2lBenb  be§  23.  3uti  erfolgten  £ob  be§  2Utmeifter3  ber  §omo= 
opatfjie  Dr.  med.  (Sonftantin  §ering  mittfjetfen.  $)er  S^taum 
oieler  9tummern  unferer  ,,§omoopatifd)en  ^RonatsBtatter"  rourbe 
nid)t  f)inreicf)en,  um  biefeS  -Dtanneg  £eBen  unb  SBirfen,  feme  3Ser= 
bienfie  um  21u§Breitung  unb  SteBUbung  ber  £ef)re  §af)nemann§  unb 
feine  raftlofe  aufopfernbe  ^Ijatigfeit  in  biefer  ^ic^tung  nacfy  ©eBiifyr 
gu  BefdjreiBen  unb  gu  rotirbigen. 

28ir  £aien  fyaBen  nocf)  bagu  Befonbere  Urfadjje,  be§  SSerftorBenen  in 
bantBarer  Slnerfennung  unb  $eref)rung  gu  gebenfen ; benn  er  roar  e§, 
ber  bie  23ebeutung  be3  Saienelementg  in  ber  §omoopat§ie  au3  lang= 
jaf)riger  eigener  (Srfaijrung  fennen  geternt;  er  roar  e§,  ber  biefer 
feiner  geroonnenen  UeBergeugung  Berebten  2lu3brucf  gaB  in  ben  2Bor= 
ten,  bie  er  ber  14.  Sluftage  feineS  §anbBud)3,  Betitelt  „§omoopatf)i= 
fc^er  §au§argt,"  ooranfeigte : 

„$)en  Saiennereinen  im  beutfdjen  EReid^e,  unferer  grofen  ©acfje 
„grofte  §offnung,  au§  trodem  §ergen  geroibmet." 

Gonftantin  Bering  roar  am  1.  Sanuar  1800  in  bem  ©tabtdjen 
Dfdfja$  in  ©adjjfen  geBoren,  geigte  fd)on  al3  $naBe  eine  grofe  $or= 
lieBe  fur  ^aturftubien  unb  roibmete  fief),  al3  er  bie  lamina  gur 
llnioerfitat  Beftanben  fjatte,  bem  ©tubium  ber  EDlebicin,  unb  groar  in 
Seipgig. 

§ering  ift  einer  ber  fef)r  roenigen  Slergte,  roeldjje  fdfjon  mit  bem  $er= 
laffen  ber  Unioerfitat  anfingen,  fiir  bie  §omoopatf)ie  gu  roirfen ; oer= 
anlafjt  bagu  rourbe  er  burd;  ben  BemerfenSroertfjen  Umftanb,  baft  er 
eine  2lBt)anbIung  gegen  bie  §omoopatl)ie  unb  gegen  §afynemann 
nerfaffen  rootfte.  ®ie  gritnblidjen  ©tubien,  bie  er  gu  biefem  groede 
mad)te,  oerroanbetten  ben  ©aulug  in  einen  $aulu3  unb  neranlaften 
it)n,  in  feiner  EDof tor = EJDiff ertation  “demedicina  futura”  (iiBer  bie 
gufiinftige  -Jftebicin)  offen  fiir  bie  §omoopatf)ie  aufgutreten.  STrotjbem 
rourbe  er  am  23.  -Utarg  1826  gum  3)oftor  ber  EIRebicin  grabuirt,  roaS 
Beilaufig  gefagt  fyeutigen  £age3  unter  bem  Regiment  ber  „mef)r 


358 


miffenfdfjaftlidfj  gebitbeten"  Profefforen  ber  9Rebicin  mit  einer  folcfyen 
Slrbeit  an  feiner  beutfcfjen  Unioerfitat  moglidj)  fein  miirbe. 

©ein  SDrang  gum  Peifen  oeranlajgte  if)n,  bie  ©telle  eine§  £et)rer3 
ber  Paturmiffenfdjaften  unb  ^ftatfjematif,  bie  er  in  2)re§ben  ange= 
nommen  fyatte,  balb  mieber  aufgugeben  unb  fid^  einer  roiffenfd^aft= 
lidjen  Cjpebition  nad)  ©urinam  in  ©iibamerifa  angufdjdiefgen.  (Sr 
tefyrte  feinen  ©efafyrten  jebocf)  balb  ben  9ttiden  unb  blieb  al3  prafti= 
fdjer  2lrgt  in  Paramaribo.  gm  Sa^  1833  Iiej$  er  fidf)  in  pi)ila  = 
belpfyia  nieber,  mo  er  eine  gute  Praxis  befam.  gm  ^afjre  1846 
grlinbete  er  bie  erfte  l)omoopatf)ifcf)e  Pilbung^anftalt  fiir  ^Rebiciner, 
ba§  fyomoopatf)ifd)e  College  in  pi)ilabelpf)ia.  SDamit  legte  er  ben 
©r unb  gur  erfolgreicf)en,  nad)l)altigen  Perbreitung  ber  §omoopatf)ie 
in  Slmerifa.  ®ie  Umftanbe  brac^ten  e§  mit  fid),  baf$  er  mel)r  in  eng= 
lifter  ©pracfje  al£  in  feiner  9Rutterfpradf)e  fcljrieb,  unb  maljrenb  un§ 
^eutfdjjen  nur  fein  „§au3argt"  al3  unoerganglid)e3  Slnbenfen  an  ben 
Perftorbenen  bleibt,  f)at  er  oom  $af)re  1869  an  in  bem  amerifanifcf)en 
journal  “Materia  Medica”  unb  nod)  mefjr  in  feinem  leiber  nocf)  un= 
oodenbeten  §auptmerfe  “Guiding  Symptoms”  („£eitenbe  ©pmp= 
tome")  fief)  in  Slmerifa  ein  $)enfmal  ftir  ade  ^ufunft  gefetjt. 

Dr.  §ering  mar  breimal  oerfjeiratfjet ; feine  erfte  grau  fjatte  er  in 
©urinam  tennen  gelernt;  fie  ftarb  batb  unb  Ijinterliejg  ifjm  einen 
(nocf)  lebenben)  ©otjn.  ©eine  gmeite  grau  roar  *>on  Pf)ilabelpf)ia ; 
eine  ^odfjter  au3  biefer  @fje  lebt  oerf)eiratf)et  in  Pofton.  3)ie  britte 
.$rau,  bie  er  1845  non  $)eutfdf)Ianb  fjeimgeftifyrt,  betrauert  mit  6 $in= 
bern  ben  Perluft  be3  geliebten  ©atten  unb  Paterg. 

2lber  audj)  mir  Slnbern  ade  empfinben  ben  §ingang  biefeS  9Jtanne§ 
al§  einen  mafjrfjaft  unerfei^licfjen  Perluft!  2Senn  i§n  2Bofylmoden 
gegen  feine  9tebenmenfd)en,  Pecf)tlicf)feit  unb  ©emiffenfjaftigfeit  in  ben 
meiteften  ^reifen  betannt  unb  beliebt  gemacf)t  fatten,  fo  fcf)a|ten  bie 
ifjm  naf)er  ©tef)enben  feine  aufrid)tige  Jrbmmigfeit,  feinen  feften 
©lauben  an  ein  P>ieberfe§en  nacf)  bem  £obe  al3  einen  oerefjrung3= 
mlirbigen  $ug  feineS  mafellofen  Cf)arafter§.  ©eine  2eicf)enfeier, 
metier  bie  gafultat  bes>  Hahnemann  Medical  College,  fomie  bie 
©ireftoren  ber  American  Homoeopathic  Publishing  Society  unb 
gafylreicfye  SDelegirte  drgtlicfjer  Pereine  beimoljnten,  mar  ein  fprecfjenbeS 


359 


3eugnij$  fur  bie  adgemeine  SBeliebtfyeit,  beren  fid)  biefer  feltene  9Kann 
im  Sebert  erfreuen  fjatte. 

2ht  ung  Saien  ift  eg,  bie  grofien  §offnungen,  bie  er  auf  unfere 
SSereirte  gefe^t,  gu  cermirflidfjen ! 3)amit  efyren  mir  am  beften  bag 
Slnbenfen  an  biefen  eifrigften  unb  tatentcodften  ©djiiler  §af)nemanng. 

In  the  Populare  Zeitschrift  fur  Homoopathie , published 
in  Leipzig,  the  following  obituary  notice  appeared  in  the 
issue  of  September  1st,  1880 : 

21cf  rolog. 

2llg  mir  in  ber  am  1.  ^anuar  b.  % erfdjienenen  Summer  ber 
„^3opuIaren  3eitfd)rift  flir  £omoopatfjie"  bag  portrait  unfereg  ef)r= 
mlirbigen  $eteranen  ^rofeffor  Dr.  (Son  ft  an  tin  Bering  in  $Ijila= 
belpf)ia  brad^ten  unb  ben  Subilar  gu  feinem  adjtgigften  ©eburtgtage 
beglMmimfcf)ten,  ba  afynten  mir  nid)t,  bag  bag  SBibelmort:  ,,SDeg 
^Jtenfdjen  £eben  maljret  fiebengig  gnfjre,  unb  menn’g  fyodf)  fomrnt,  fo 
finb’g  adfjigig,  unb  ift  eg  foftlidj  gemefen,  fo  ift  eg  SSJtufje  unb  2(rbeit 
geroefen,"  fdjon  fo  balb  an  bem  immer  nodi)  rliftigen  unb  tfjatigen 
©reife  fid)  beroaf)rf)eiten  fodte.  (Sin  Xelegram  aug  $Ijilabelpf)ia, 
melcfjeg  ung  §err  Dr.  §eermann  non  §unbermarf  in  $arig 
iibermittelte,  melbete  ung  feinen  am  23.  guli,  Slbenbg  10  Ufjr  erfolg- 
ten  £ob,  unb  Ijeute,  mo  mir  biefeg  fcfjreiben,  Uegen  ung  ga^lreicf;e 
ameri!anifcf)e  unb  beutfdfje  flatter  nor  mit  ben  etgencodften  92ad)= 
rufen  fur  „ben  bebeutenbften  unb  befannteften,  roenn  nid)t  beriif)m= 
teften  SBlirger  ^ilabelpfyiag/'  ben  ber  Slob  menige  ©tunben  nad; 
feiner  3tudfel)r  non  einem  ^ranfenbefucf),  alfo  in  coder  9iuftung, 
ereilte.  2Bag  (Sonftantin  §ering  ung  §omoopat§en  in  bem 
3eitraum  eineg  fyalben  Sctfyrfjunbertg  alg  ©djjriftfteder  unb  2lrgt  ge= 
roefen  ift,  bag  Ijaben  mir  cor  menigen  9Jtonaten  in  ber,  feinem  portrait 
beigegebenen  SBiograpfyie  bargeman.  ©ein  §auptrcer!,  an  meldjem  er 
big  gu  feinem  £obe  arbeitete  unb  beffen  britter  SBanb  con  if)m  foeben 
codenbet  mar,  mirb  con  feinen  ©djiilern  meiter  fjerauggegeben  merben. 


360 


(Eg  fiigrt  ben  £itel  “ Guiding  Symptoms”  („£eitenbe  ©pmptome"), 
ift  auf  15  23anbe  beredgnet,  unb  entgalt  bie  Quinteffeng  ber  gefammten 
gomoopatgifdgen  2lr§neimittellegre.  $)ag  Material  gu  ben  nocg  feg= 
lenben  SBanben  ift  non  bem  $)agingefdgiebenen  berart  georbnet  ginter= 
laffen  morben,  bag  beren  §erauggeber  menig  -Jftuge  gaben  merben. 

Obgleid^  er  bie  meiften  neueren  2Berfe  in  englifcger  ©pracge  public 
cirte,  fo  ging  er  bocg  mit  notter  Siebe  an  feinem  beutfdgen  33aterlanbe 
unb  ftanb  mit  ben  beutfcgen  §omoopatgen  in  regem  23erfegr.  SDie 
beutfcgen  ©iege  unb  bie  (Erricgtung  beg  beutfcgen  EHeid^e^  murben  non 
igm  burcg  ein  grogeg  geft  in  feinem,  an  einen  geraumigen  ©arten 
ftogenben  §aufe  gefeiert.  Segtereg  mar  ber  -Utittelpunft  beg  geiftigen 
Sebeng  ber  beutfcgen  in  ^gilabelpgia  unb  mit  grower  Siberalitat 
alien  -Jftannern  ber  $unft  unb  -JBiffenfcgaft  §u  jeber  ©tunbe  geoffnet. 
Dlaftlog  nagrn  Bering  an  Slllem  £geil,  toag  bie  (Entmicfelung  beg 
beutfcgen  (Elementeg  in  2lmerifa  fbrbern  unb  geben  fonnte;  unb  alg 
^Srofeffor  9teuleauj  iiber  bie  beutfcge  gnbuftrie  auf  ber  2Beltaug= 
ftellung  in  *pgilabelpgia  bag  gefliigelte  2Bort  fpracg:  ,,33iUig  unb 
fcgledgt!"  ba  braufte  er  auf  in  einem  an  ben  §erauggeber  b.  3-  9?= 
ricgteten  SBriefe : „bag  ^rofeffor  $ieuleau£  mit  feinem  (Eingigen  ber 
acgtbaren  beutfcgen  in  ^gilabelpgia  gefprocgen,  bag  er  in  feinem  58e= 
ricgte  nerfcgmiegen  gatte  bag  bie  ^reife  unb  Slugjeicgnungen  nor^uggs 
meife  ben  Slrbeiten  non  beutfcgen  in  ^gilabelpgia  ^ugefallen  feien, 
unb  bag  ben  einjigen  ^reig,  ber  bie  §omoopatgie  betraf,  ein  ©eutfcger 
ergielt." 

gern  non  feinem  geliebten  SSaterfanbe  merben  feine  fterblicgen 
Ueberrefte  in  frember  (Erbe  rugen.  ©ein  ©eift  aber  mirb  fortleben  in 
ber  §eilmetgobe  ©amuel  $agnemann’g,  biefem  $inbe  acgt  beutfdgen 
©eifteg,  gleigeg  unb  Strebeng,  unb  fur  immer  mirb  fidg  an  ben 
stamen  (Eonftantin§ering  bie  (Erinnerung  fniipfen,  bag  er  nicgt 
blog  ber  befte  tenner  ber  gomoopatgifcgen  Slrjneimittellegre,  fonbern 
aucg,  nadgft  §agnemann,  beren  eifrigfter  gorberer  gemefen  ift. 

©fyre  feinem  2(ngebenfen! 

^riebe  feiner  2ffcfy:l 


INDEX. 


Allen,  Dr.  H.  C.,  remarks  of,  272. 

Allen,  Dr.  T.  F.,  remarks  of,  176. 

Allgemeine  Homoeopathische  Zeitung  Todesanzeige,  353. 
American  Institute  Memorial  Service,  331. 

Baxter,  Dr.  H.  H.,  report  by,  278. 

Bayard,  Dr.  E.,  address  by,  169. 

“ “ remarks  of,  188. 

Beckwith,  Dr.  D.  H.,  remarks  of,  279. 

Bigler,  Dr.  W.  H.,  remarks  of,  138. 

Biographical  Sketch  by  Dr.  C.  Gundelach,  234. 

Bolles,  Rev.  Dr.,  remarks  of,  276. 

Boston,  Meeting  of  Physicians  of,  147. 

Boyce,  Dr.  C.  W.,  reminiscences  by,  212. 

British  Homoeopathic  Congress,  162. 

Burnham,  Dr.,  remarks  of,  283. 

Canadian  Homoeopathic  Institute  Meeting,  327. 

Carleton,  Dr.  E.,  Jr.,  remarks  of,  185. 

Carriere,  Dr.  Charles  L.,  remarks  of,  245. 

Cleveland,  Meeting  in,  276. 

Cole,  Dr.  A.  L.,  remarks  of,  285. 

Dake,  Dr.  J.  P.,  remarks  of,  341. 

Denver,  Meeting  in,  282. 

Deschere,  Dr.  Martin,  remarks  of,  208. 

Dowling,  Dr.  J.  W.,  address  by,  336. 

“ “ remarks  of,  181,  348. 

Dudley,  Dr.  Pemberton,  remarks  of,  141. 

Duncan,  Dr.  T.  C.,  remarks  of,  345. 

Eastman,  Dr.  Emma,  remarks  of,  287. 

Eaton,  Dr.  M.  M.,  remarks  of,  347. 

Edmonds,  Dr.  W.  A.,  remarks  of,  237. 

Eulogy  by  Dr.  C.  Heermann,  Paris,  316. 

Everett,  Dr.  Ambrose  S.,  remarks  gf,  289 
Finch,  Dr.  Joseph,  remarks  of,  179. 

Fisher,  Dr.,  remarks  of,  345. 


362 


Franklin,  Dr.  E.  C.,  remarks  of,  262. 

Frohne,  Dr.  J.  P.,  remarks  of,  244. 

Funeral  Sermon,  148. 

“ Services,  148. 

Gause,  Dr.  O.  B.,  remarks  of,  132. 

Gilbert,  Dr.  Charles  B.,  remarks  of,  211. 

Goodman,  Dr.  C.  H.,  incidents  related  by,  248. 
Gottschalk,  Dr.  William  von,  remarks  of,  348. 
Guernsey,  Dr.  E.,  remarks  of,  182. 

“ Dr.  Henry  N.,  address  by,  195. 

“ Dr.  Joseph  C.,  remarks  of,  228. 

Gundelach,  Dr.  Charles,  biographical  sketch  by,  234. 
Hahnemann  Medical  College  tribute,  188. 

Hallock,  Dr.  L.,  remarks  of,  184. 

Hart,  Dr.  C.  N.,  remarks  of,  293. 

Hills,  Dr.  Alfred  K.,  remarks  of,  184. 

Inaugural  Dissertation,  228. 

Ingersoll,  Dr.  L.  J.,  remarks  of,  287. 

Italy,  Tribute  from,  350. 

James,  Dr.  Bushrod  W.,  remarks  of,  203. 

Joslin,  Dr.  B.  F.,  note  from,  182. 

Kansas  City,  Meeting  in,  261. 

“ Physicians,  memorial  address  to,  304. 
Kershaw,  Dr.  J.  Martin,  tribute  by,  242. 

Korndoerfer,  Dr.  Augustus,  remarks  by,  136. 

Lee,  Dr.  John  K , address  by,  167,  226. 

“ “ remarks  of,  142. 

Liebold,  Dr.  C.  Th.,  remarks  of,  180. 

Lilienthal,  Dr.  Samuel,  remarks  of,  163,  166,  174. 
Lippe,  Dr.  A.,  address  by,  129,  192. 

“ Dr.  Constantine,  remarks  of,  210. 

McClatchey,  Dr.  K J.,  remarks  of,  200. 

McManus,  Dr.  F.  R.,  remarks  of,  329,  344. 

Maryland  State  Society  Meeting,  328. 

Memorial  Address  to  Kansas  Physicians,  304. 

“ Committee,  composition  of,  144. 

“ Meetings,  158. 

Mexican  Homoeopathic  Institute  tribute,  352. 
Michigan  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  161. 

“ University  of,  meeting,  261. 

Minneapolis,  Meeting  in,  294. 


363 


Mohr,  Dr.  Charles,  remarks  of,  230. 

Morgan,  Dr.  J.  C.,  address  by,  133. 

“ “ eulogy  by,  205. 

“ “ remarks  of,  337. 

Necrology,  353,  357,  359. 

Necrology  by  Dr.  Henry  D.  Paine,  331. 

Negendank,  Dr.  A.,  address  by,  309. 

New  York  City,  Meeting  of  Physicians  of,  145. 

New  York  County  Society  Meeting,  169. 

New  York  State  Society  Meeting,  163. 

Northern  New  York  Medical  Society  Meeting,  160. 

Norton,  Dr.  George  S.,  remarks  of,  183. 

Obituary  Notices,  352. 

Obituary  Notice  in  the  Allgemeine  Horn.  Zeitung,  354. 

“ “ in  the  Homoopathische  Monatsblatter,  357. 

“ “ in  La  Reforma  Medica,  352. 

“ “ Populare  Zeitschrift  fur  Homoopathie,  359. 

Onondaga  County  Memorial  Meeting,  158. 

Paine,  Dr.  Henry  D.,  Necrological  Report  by,  331. 

“ “ remarks  of,  336. 

Pall  Bearers,  list  of,  143. 

Paris,  Meeting  in,  314. 

Parsons,  Dr  S.  B.,  remarks  of,  240. 

Pearson,  Dr.  C.,  remarks  of,  189. 

Pennsylvania  State  Medical  Society  Meeting,  166. 

Philadelphia  County  Society  tribute,  187. 

“ Meeting  of  Physicians  of,  129. 

“ Memorial  Meeting,  187. 

Piepgras,  Dr.,  remarks  of,  291. 

Poem  by  Dr.  S.  B.  Parsons,  241. 

Pompili,  Dr.  Joachim,  tribute  by,  350. 

Post-mortem,  account  of,  138. 

Reminiscences  by  Dr.  C.  W.  Boyce,  212. 

Resolutions  adopted  by  the  Boston  Physicians,  147. 

“ “ British  Homoeopathic  Congress,  162. 

“ Canadian  Homoeopathic  Institute,  328. 
“ Cleveland  Academy  of  Medicine,  278. 
“ “ “ Denver  Physicians,  283. 

“ H.  M.  S.  of  Northern  New  York,  160. 
“ “ Kansas  City  Physicians,  261. 

“ “ Maryland  State  Society,  330. 


364 


Resolutions  adopted  by  the  Michigan  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons, 

162. 

“ ‘‘  “ New  York  State  Society,  164. 

“ “ “ Onondaga  County  Society,  159. 

“ " Pennsylvania  State  Society,  168. 

“ “ “ Philadelphia  Physicians,  131. 

“ “ “ University  of  Michigan,  276. 

“ “ “ Washington  Horn.  Med.  Society,  312. 

“ “ “ West  Jersey  Society,  330. 

“ passed  by  New  York  Physicians,  145. 

Sanders,  Dr.  J.  C.,  report  by,  278. 

Schleswig-Holstein,  Meeting  in,  314. 

Seward,  Rev.  S.  S.,  Funeral  Sermon  by,  148. 

Smith,  Dr.  H.  M.,  remarks  of,  342. 

Spalding,  Dr.  C.  W.,  address  by,  242. 

Starritt,  Dr.  S.  P.,  address  by,  294. 

St.  Louis  Memorial  Services,  233. 

Talbot,  Dr.  I.  T.,  remarks  of,  346. 

Taylor,  Dr.  C.  W.,  remarks  of,  247. 

Thesis,  translation  of  graduation,  228. 

Thomas,  Dr.  A.  R.,  letter  from,  140. 

Tribute  from  Italy,  350. 

Valentine,  Dr.  Philo  G.,  original  verses  by,  249. 

“ “ remarks  of,  347. 

Walker,  Dr.  G.  S.,  Oration  by,  252. 

Washington,  Meeting  in,  312. 

Wells,  Dr.  P.  P.,  address  by,  164. 

Wilmington,  Meeting  in,  309. 

Wilson,  Dr.  T.  P.,  remarks  of,  267. 


" 

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